The Maiden's Forbidden Love
by mushi0131
Summary: Lucy is on a mission to kill a dragon that is known to be part demon. During her travels she comes across a strange man who's also looking for a dragon, so they decide to team up. However, on the way they grow closer, and soon Lucy's not able to deny her feelings for her new friend. The only problem is she isn't allowed to fall in love. Story idea credited to: mikethepokemaster. AU
1. Introduction

_**Warning**_ **: This story is rated M for foul language, sexual content, and adult situations. Please do not read if you are uncomfortable with any of those things. Also this story includes possible spoilers. You have been warned.**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail, that right belongs to Hiro Mashima.**

 **This is my submission for Nalu Week 2016. This is just the introduction. There will be daily updates starting July 1st. Also this story will be ten chapters long.**

 **The story's idea was thought of by mikethepokemaster.**

 **I usually do not take requests, but I really wanted to write this when they presented the idea.**

 **I'm sorry if this story seems fast paced, but it needs to be for the sake of Nalu week. It is an AU, so keep that in mind. :) Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think.**

* * *

 **Introduction**

"This is hopeless!"

A young woman tried taking her time studying the map in her hands, but it didn't make sense to her anymore. She'd been walking for three days now, and was supposed to already be at her destination, Hargeon. Unfortunately for her, she was horrible at directions.

Currently the woman was lost in the middle of a forest, sitting on a large rock. Her feet were sore from her travels, and she hadn't eaten since yesterday. She was afraid her survival skills were lacking, and she'd fail her mission after all.

All her peers at the church doubted her abilities, and she was beginning to learn why. Sure she was a fierce wizard, and could defend herself if need be, but she was awful at just about everything else.

That wasn't completely accurate.

She was an excellent writer. She enjoyed writing stories about love, adventure, and ironically friendship. What she wanted more than anything was to become an author, but that would never happen. She had a destiny, and there was no chance she'd ever get published.

The woman didn't mind though. As long as she was able to pursue her dreams in secret she was content, even if no one would ever read her stories.

She used to have a friend who would read with her, but unfortunately Coco ended up being a sympathizer... And everyone at the church knows what happens to sympathizers...

Writing was really the only thing the woman had to get her through the lonely days. Her life at the church could be disheartening at times, especially since she didn't have any friends.

No one wanted to be friends with an orphan.

The woman had very little memories of her parents. She remembered thinking her mother was the most beautiful person she'd ever laid eyes on, and that her father was more reserved than her mother, but filled with just as much love. They were the perfect family, until one month after the girl turned ten.

That night, in their small and modest house, her parents were slaughtered. She remembered that day like it was yesterday. Blood. There was so much _blood_. It splattered on the walls like a second coat of paint. It was so red and vibrant, she still got chills thinking about it.

She had been fast asleep when she heard the screams. Her little feet couldn't run fast enough. Her father was already dead when she reached their bedroom. She tried to save her mom, but it was too late, and before she knew it, she saw the light go out in her mother's eyes.

The girl had cried that whole night. She prayed that someone could save them, but there was no one listening. She was all alone. She was an only child, and her parents had no family to speak of. She thought about running away, but another option presented itself.

The church officials found her, covered in blood with tears streaming down her face. They took her in, cleaned her up, and promised to take care of her.

A Cardinal by the name of Lapointe was her prime provider. He raised her to be the woman she is today, and she owed him everything. He's an older man, with short white hair in a bowl-cut. He's the man who's been helping her with her training for years.

He raised her to be a holy maiden of the church, and she never tried to return to her old life. Without her parents, it just seemed dull and pointless anyways.

She was now twenty years old. A lot had changed over the years. Her appearance being one of them.

Her hair was a beautiful golden blonde, that if left down, fell to the middle of her back. Her fair skin was not without flaws. Small nicks and cuts adorned her hands, knees and feet from years of training.

The blonde certainly filled out her dress quite well. The swell of her breasts flowed well with the curves of her waist and hips, that led down to her long legs. She was known first for her beauty, and second for her magic.

Her voice was sweet when she wanted it to be, but usually she spoke with an edge in her tone to make herself seem stronger. Often times people would underestimate her, and she'd have to assert herself in order to not be belittled or picked on.

It was a rough life, but the woman was just glad to be living one more day. She had a purpose, and she could not die until that purpose was met.

See, this woman was training since she was very young. She was given a special task that the church officials thought she could handle, and the determination to make them proud provided her with enough fuel to make it another day. Her mission was not an easy one. In fact it took over ten years for the little girl to become the capable woman she was today.

For this woman was special. She could wield magic, while none of the other church members could.

 _Chosen_ they called her. Lapointe told her the gods had great things planned for her. This is what she was told since he took her in. She was born for one thing, and one thing only.

She was to slay the dragon.

This dragon was not an ordinary dragon. He was infused with demonic blood, making him a vicious and feared creature.

The woman had heard tales of his horrible deeds throughout the years. Each story more gruesome than the last. The worst story she heard was told on her thirteenth birthday. It was hard to swallow the truth, but she ended up being thankful that Lapointe told her what really happened to her parents.

For years she thought they were murdered by criminals in the middle of the night, but the truth was they'd be slaughtered by the demonic dragon known as END.

After learning the truth, she made it her life's goal to avenge her parent's death and kill this vile beast. It worked out well since the church tasked her with doing just that.

She trained for years, honing her magic and learning to wield different weapons. She preferred the whip, knowing it was great when fighting from a distance and it was easy to carry around without taking up much space.

She would need something fast and something she could use from far away. Dragons moved quickly, and if she wasn't careful it could run away. Or worse...

Kill her.

The woman didn't worry about that. If she died, then at least she died fighting for what she believed in. She wouldn't give up though, she would fight until she drew her last breath. She spent a decade training, and nothing was going to stop her from taking her revenge.

Besides the whip, she used another type of weapon. This weapon consisted of multiple items, but they all used of the same magic. She used celestial gate keys.

Gate keys work to bring a spirit from another world to her own world. They were contracted to her, and she used them to help fight. She always fought alongside them, preferring to treat them as equals and not servants.

When the girl's mother passed, she inherited two golden keys, each holding a unique spirit, complete with their own magic and personality.

The blonde held those keys close to her heart. She may not have human friends, but she at least had them to keep her company. Of course one of her spirits didn't view the friendship as mutual, and the other was more concerned with her hair style then chatting or hanging out.

Still, she loved her spirits, and vowed to always treat them like family.

She collected a few more keys throughout the years. In total she holds three gold keys and three silver keys today. The gold keys are extremely rare, while the silver keys are more common. Regardless of their 'status', she cares deeply for all of them.

The blonde looked up to the sky. The sun was directly on top of her, letting her know it'd be a long time until sundown. She had to make it to the next town before nightfall, because she couldn't stand to spend one more night in the forest.

Putting her map in her tan sack, she hopped off the rock to begin her journey again. The celestial wizard figured if she kept moving forward she'd have to eventually reach the town.

Her boots had mud caked to their soles, making it difficult to walk normally. Honestly she shouldn't be wearing them in the first place, since the church's strict dress code dictates that she wears common slippers, and to avoid things that could make a person less humble.

However the woman found out quick that slippers and a forest don't mix. Her feet had been swollen and covered in blisters when she reached her first town, and the first thing she did was buy some comfortable boots to make this journey easier.

She had some money saved up from working part-time at the church, mainly cleaning jobs. She used it primarily on food and shelter, but she was running out of cash fast and needed to get on with her mission. She'd already been on it for two weeks, and she was getting discouraged with every dragonless day.

The blonde's grip tightened on the strap of her bag. It had become heavier since she left the church, though most of the weight was due to the broken off horn she carried.

The woman was given the tip of the demonic dragon's horn before she left. In order to prove she killed END, she would have to hack of the rest of his horn off to complete the piece she had. It was surprisingly thin for a dragon's horn. Her hand could almost wrap all the way around the thickest part. It was also solid black, and felt like it was made of bone.

Needless to say since the horn was so heavy she tried to pack light. She debated throwing away the slippers she left with, but always decided against it. At least this way she could put them back on before returning to the church. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them anyways.

At least she kept the rest of her appearance to the church's standards. She wore her long, golden hair into a bun -with the exception of two locks loose to frame her face. Her dress was simple, an off-white color with gold trim on her neckline, sleeves and hem of the dress. The only thing to differ from her appearance and those of her peers was her belt.

It was not customary for the women to wear belts like hers, but it was essential, since it held the pouch containing her celestial gate keys. The belt was a dark brown, which under normal circumstances would clash with her outfit, but the boots she bought a week ago matched it perfectly. Lucy may be a maiden, but that didn't mean she couldn't have some fashion sense.

The woman walked a few more miles before stopping to rest again. She desperately wanted a bath, but the only option at this point would be the lake she passed by two miles back. As long as she didn't get dirtier she'd be fine until she reached Hargeon.

The blonde stretched her legs before taking a step in the direction she'd been heading to all day. Her foot didn't even land on the ground before she heard the dark laughter.

She spun around, finding herself surrounded by five, six, no- There were _seven_ men around her. Trepidation washed over her like a rough wave - _and she knew a little something about rough waves from a certain blue haired spirit of hers_.

The woman could see the evil intentions in their eyes, and their smiles lacked kindness or mercy. She would have to fight, even with her body sore and her brain tired.

"Open! Gate of the Crab!" The blonde ripped one of her golden keys from her pouch, holding it in the air to finish her chant. "Cancer!"

A golden light appeared out of thin air, only to disappear and reveal a celestial spirit. He was tall, dark, and -

"What the fuck is that?" One of the man yelled, pointing a finger at Cancer as if he were a strange creature.

The blonde shrugged, knowing most people hadn't laid eyes on a celestial spirit, especially since wizards who use her type of magic were extremely rare.

"You want me to take them out, ebi?" The man with six crab legs protruding from his back asked.

"Yeah!" She exclaimed, pointing to the group of men.

The spirit jumped from his spot, two pairs of scissors in his hands as he snipped at the enemies. Within seconds they were all bald, two of the men crying from the sudden lack of hair.

"Open! Gate of the golden bull!" The wizard pulled out another golden key to call forth a spirit. "Taurus!"

"Mmooooo!" A large, humanoid-cow looking spirit joined the fight. He took a second to appreciate the body of his owner before glaring at the men. "Don't you dare make a moooove!"

Cancer disappeared to the celestial world while the bull took over. He swung his might axe to take out all of the men at one. The woman just laughed, knowing they were no match for her spirits. She didn't even have to fight this time, they just dropped like flies.

"Thanks Taurus, you can go back now," she said in a chipper voice.

The bull started fading away, "No problem Miss Luuu-"

The spirit disappeared before he could finish. The blonde felt rather pleased with herself. She'd have enough time to get away from them before they woke up. She was about to turn around and leave when she heard leaves rustling.

"Oh come on," she groaned, seeing at least five more men join. She was running out of patience and just wanted to get on with her journey.

With her magic low, she decided it'd be better to just do this the old fashioned way. She grabbed the whip that was strapped to the other side of her belt and released it.

She didn't even bother taunting them. Cracking her whip against the main part of the group, she took out four of the men easily.

She went for a second blow when two large arms wrapped around her body, squeezing her for all she was worth.

"Let go of me!" She struggled to breath, the man's arms constricting her lungs. Her hands dropped her weapon in favor of trying to claw at the man's arms, but she couldn't manuever her limbs anymore.

"No way girlie! You're gonna fetch us a nice amount when we sell ya," the man cackled, his foul breath stinging her nose.

Using her training, she kicked backwards and nailed the man in the shin. "Shit!" The man cried before smacking his head against her own. The impact hurt, _a lot_.

The blonde felt a little dizzy from the sudden action, but she couldn't let herself be subdued this easily. It would have meant that all her training, _all her sacrifices_ , were for nothing.

Suddenly a hand groped her left breast harshly, and the woman froze. She could hear another man laughing as he kneaded her flesh hidden beneath her dress. "Oh come on boss, let's have some fun with her before we go off and sell her," the words were accompanied by more touching, and the blonde whimpered.

"Please let me go," she held her head down in shame. Never had she been assaulted like this, and she was unfamiliar with what to do. The arms around her torso never let up, even with the first man howling in pain behind her.

"Begging are we?" The second man cackled. "I'm going to have fun with you."

The blonde's eyes widened. She had no intentions on _having fun_. She was a holy maiden, and touching like this was against the rules, so she struggled, kicked, and begged some more, but it was no use. The man's hold was absolute, and to make matters worse, the other fallen men were already returning to their feet.

She was surrounded again, and now saw lust in their tainted eyes. Her fingers tried to reach for her pouch, but her hands couldn't budge.

She opened her mouth to yell once more, but a deeper and darker voice dominated the forest.

"LET HER GO NOW!"

She turned her head to the direction of the voice, but all she caught was a flash of pink and black. The next second she was being released from the man's grip, with her previous captor and the molester falling to the ground with a large knot on both their bald heads.

The blonde looked up to see a new man in the mix of things. He was busy punching two men with flame-engulfed fists. _'Wait, fire?'_

She had no time to question things. She grabbed her whip she dropped earlier and cracked it, leaving a deep red score over the molester's back. He might have been unconscious, but that didn't stop her from seeing red. She didn't hesitate to send her weapon flying towards three men charging for her.

Throughout fighting, she kept trying to steal glances at the mysterious man, but he moved to fast and there were too many distractions. She had to take care of these guys before investigating the new person.

Sweat dripped down her face, and a few times she was pushed to the ground and forced to fight with her fists. She came out on top though, probably due to the fact they thought she was a weakling.

In less than five minutes, the large group of men were running away in fear, hands raised above their hands and figurative tails tucked between their legs. It wasn't long before the woman lost sight of them, and she finally allowed herself a breath of relief.

"That was a close one," the blonde sighed. She had been ready to fight a dragon, but never thought _people_ would attack her. She guessed the church was right when they said not to trust outsiders. She still couldn't believe one of them actually touched her like that. She felt vile just thinking about it.

"You alright?" A strange voice came from behind her, and she suppressed a yelp of surprise as she turned around.

The strange man who showed up mid-fight was standing before her. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes were narrowed at her. Now that she had no distractions, the blonde finally inspected the mystery man who had come to her rescue.

He was taller than her, but not by much. Tan skin stretched over his lean body. He looked strong, with a slight muscular build and a dark glint in his green eyes. A symbol she'd never seen before adorned his right shoulder. It looked like a red bird, but she wasn't sure.

His outfit was definitely puzzling. His torso was covered in just a small, black vest with gold trim. Material that was made of the same design wrapped around his trimmed waist, held up by a brown belt. His white shorts and black sandals looked normal at least, but they were overshadowed by the odd, white, scaly looking scarf around his neck.

The woman's attention flitted back up to his head. His hair was another weird thing about him. It was pink. _Pink!_ The blonde had never seen such a bizarre color on a person, let alone a male. His hair was short and spiky, sticking out in every direction possible. It looked like it needed a good brush through, but she wasn't supposed to judge others based on their appearance. She was raised better than that.

Her curious eyes trailed back to his face, and her breath hitched. He was quite handsome. He appeared to be around her age, maybe a few years older. She was a little alarmed by the way he looked at her. His glare held an intensity that made her stomach twist. She assumed he was a good guy since he helped her, but now she was not so sure.

The man took a step towards her, and she reacted by taking a step back.

"Don't come any closer!" She cried, pulling out the gate key that belonged to Taurus.

"Huh?" The pink haired man cocked his head. "I'm not gonna hurt ya," in less than a second his face had softened and a strange grin spread on his face. She noticed his canine teeth were abnormally sharp, but they didn't look very threatening with that smile on his face.

He took another step towards her, and she noted the way his vest shifted with his movements.

Feeling awestruck from the sight of the man's toned chest and abs, the blonde turned around quickly to avoid her face from heating up. It was no use, as she could already feel the slight blush tinting her cheeks.

"Why are you dressed so inappropriately!" The blonde shook her head in disapproval. No one from the church dressed in such a provocative manner. She was stunned this man even felt comfortable being left so exposed.

"What?" The man looked down at his body, but couldn't see anything wrong. "You okay? You seem a little weird."

"I'm weird?" She scoffed, still not facing the stranger. "You're the one with fire on your fists like it's normal!"

"And?" The man didn't see a problem with that either. He figured this was just his luck. Out of all the people he could have run into, he _had_ to meet a strange one.

"Oh never mind! It was a pleasure meeting you, but I must be on my way," she left no room for more dialogue, but still the man interjected.

"Wait!" He quickly walked over until he was in front of her. "I didn't catch your name."

"That's because I didn't give it to you," the blonde narrowed her eyes.

"Oh come on," he groaned. "I'm just tryin' to be polite."

"Good for you," she said it in a sharp tone, hoping he'd take the hint.

"You're funny," his voice held no sarcasm as he laughed. "It's nice to meet you...?" The pink haired man held out his hand.

The blonde huffed before replying, "Lucy." She stopped moving to shake his rough hand, praying he'd catch the annoyed look she gave him. She couldn't help but notice his high body temperature and the magic power she felt radiating off him.

"Lucy, that's a cool name," the male released his grip and placed his hands on his hips. "My name's Natsu!"

The blonde rose a brow, wondering why he said it with so much excitement. She didn't question him, instead favoring to dust the dirt from her dress. It was no use, seeing as the material was dirty and would need to be washed.

Remembering that she saw a lake earlier, she debated whether she should backtrack and clean up, or just go forward and deal with the mess. Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice.

"People also call me the Salamader!" Natsu added when he noticed she hadn't recognized him. Most people in this area knew his name well, even if they didn't actually know him, so he figured she must not be from around here. "People also call me-"

"Look," she said sharply. "I'm not looking for a conversation. Thank you for helping me back there, but if you'll excuse me I have to get moving."

"What's the rush?" He asked, ignoring her rude tone of voice. She had started walking off and that frustrated the man. He'd been without conversations for a few weeks now, and he was desperate for some company.

"I have stuff to do," the blonde known as Lucy shouted, no hesitation in her steps as she stormed away.

"Doing what?" Natsu asked, running up beside her. Once he made it to her, he slowed down until they matched paces.

"None of your business," she didn't bother looking at him.

"Don't be like that." The pink haired man whined. "How about I tell you what I'm doing, then you can tell me why it is a girl like you is out here alone."

"A girl like me?" Lucy asked with venom laced in her voice.

"Yeah," he didn't even hesitate.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The blonde really didn't need to ask. She knew exactly what this guy thought. He thought she was just a hopeless female who needed a man to save her, but she was determined to not let that happen.

Sure she got unlucky this last time, but that was only because they surprised her. She would be more cautious next time. She didn't need anyone to save her, and she certainly didn't need some stranger telling her what kind of girl she was.

"Well, you're clearly not from around here. Your clothing is weird and you didn't even know who I was," Natsu reasoned. "So spill, why are you out here."

The blonde looked over to him. Her feet kept moving but she focused on him. He hadn't said anything she expected him to. In fact his reasons really didn't have to do with her ability to take care of herself at all. "If you must know, I'm looking for something."

She could let that much information slip. He wasn't going to learn her true intentions, because that would just complicate things. She planned on ditching this annoying male once their pointless conversation was over.

The man with green eyes looked intrigued. "Ooh, like treasure or something?"

"Or something..." The maiden would keep her lips sealed, no matter how attractive this man was. He would not get her to talk. She turned her face away from his to avoid the slightest temptation.

"I'm looking for something too," Natsu started, fingers absentmindedly brushing against the trees as he passed them. He sighed heavily, "but he's super hard to find."

"He?" Lucy asked, wondering if there was another person in this forest. She hadn't seen anyone besides that group of men and him, and she had been in this forest for a few days. At the rate she was going she was sure to spend at least one more night under the trees and stars.

The pink haired man grinned as he gleamed, "yeah. I'm looking for a dragon!"

Lucy's head snapped to his direction just as her feet stopped moving, "a _dragon_?"

He stopped as well, delighted that he held her attention. "Yup. I haven't seen him in months, and I need to give him a piece of my mind." The man slammed his fist into his palm with a serious frown on his face. There was a darkness in those green eyes, and for a split second Lucy thought she saw specks of red dance in his right iris.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Lucy doubted a man like him could take down a dragon, let alone kill one. She had spent a decade working on techniques that would be needed to end the beast, and this guy just didn't look the part. "No offense but I don't think you could hold your own against a dragon."

"What! Of course I can!" Natsu looked at her with a shocked expression, clearly upset that she would even say such a thing.

"What makes you think that?" The blonde asked, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Even with her comfortable boots, her feet were still killing her, and she still had more walking to do.

The pink haired man crossed his right arm over his body with his hand in the thumbs up position, "because, I'm Natsu Dragneel, and I'm a dragon slayer!"

Her eyes widened. _'A dragon slayer! Those are more rare than dragons themselves.'_ Lucy knew dragon slayers were more than able to take down dragons, and if he's looking for the same one... _'Maybe I could use his help...'_

Dragons were an endangered species. Most reports of sighting were faked, so it was difficult to get an accurate number on how many of the creatures were still alive. Lucy only knew of one, and that was END. Of course he wouldn't be alive for much longer if she had anything to say about it.

Taking down a dragon would be difficult, but she was prepared to take that challenge head on. However, maybe her and this dragon slayer could be allies?

She knew she couldn't trust Natsu, since he was an outsider to her church, but that didn't mean she couldn't _use_ him to complete her mission. Clearing her throat, she said in a joyful tone, "what a coincidence! I'm looking for a dragon too!"

"You are?" Natsu's large smile grew. After she nodded, he added, "then it's settled! You're joining my team!"

"Your... team?" She said the word slowly, as if it were the first time she'd said it.

"Well, I usually have my best friend with me, but he's busy helping other people," Natsu thought about his blue exceed named Happy. The flying feline was assisting some of their friends back home, while Natsu searched for the dragon.

Lucy looked past the faraway look in his eyes. Gripping her bag's strap tightly, she raised her palm to the dragon slayer, "I'd be happy to join your team!"

With Natsu's help, she was sure to find the dragon and slay it in no time. She'd be able to go back to the church and continue her life, possibly seeking out a new mission to complete for the sake of the church.

The pink haired man high fived her, shouting, "so let's go!"

Lucy had no time to question what that meant before he took action. His warm hand gripped her wrist and pulled her into a random direction. The dragon slayer grinned wide as he ran through the forest with his newfound friend.

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 **There you have it, the first chapter to introduce you to the story. Let me know what you think by leaving a review. I accept constructive criticism so if you want to point something out go ahead! Thank you for reading so far. Once again, there will be daily updates starting July 1st for Nalu week.**

 **See you July 1st with Day One: Longing.**


	2. Longing

**Day One: Longing**

Lucy knew it was probably a bad idea to team up with the dragon slayer known as Natsu Dragneel, but she did it anyway. She found out quickly that she should have just left him behind, and carried on her mission by herself like she originally planned.

It had been a month since they met, which meant Lucy had already been on her mission for six weeks without any luck with finding the dragon. The closest hint they saw were several large footprints in a clearing outside of a busy city known as Crocus, but even that led to nothing.

Lucy was close to giving up, but the stubbornness that ran through her veins was not allowing her such luxuries. Besides, if she gave up she wouldn't be allowed back to the church, and that was the only home she knew.

Since most of their journey consisted of walking, it left a lot of space open for conversations. At first Lucy was reluctant to talk to the pink haired man, finding no reason to engage him. However, Natsu was a persistent man, and talked to her regardless if he got any feedback or not. It went on for a few hours before Lucy finally cracked, and talked back.

It didn't take long for her to find out a lot about Natsu. He was practically an open book. Most of the time he didn't even mention the dragon they were looking for. Instead he opted to talk about his friends back home.

Apparently the strange red symbol on his shoulder was his guild's emblem. She assumed it was some type of bird, but it turned out to be a fairy. Lucy was skeptical, but listened anyway.

He said he belonged to a wizard's guild called Fairy Tail, and that caught her attention. He asked if she heard of it, noticing the way her eyes lit up. She shook her head and told him no, but that she was interested in learning more about wizards.

Lucy hadn't met any other wizards besides her mother and Natsu, so she was naturally curious. She didn't reveal the fact that her mom could use magic or even that _she_ was capable of using it, not knowing what he might do with the information. So instead she gave him her attention so he could tell her all about his home.

Natsu spoke highly of his guild mates. Well, most of them anyway. He told her about a man who could spout ice out of thin air, but assured her that the guy was a jerk and something about him being an ice princess. That confused Lucy, but she didn't have time to question it as he started talking about other people.

She learned about a female warrior. The way he described her led the blonde to believe her beauty rivaled that of goddesses. She was a fairy queen, who could transform her armor within seconds. Lucy was entranced in his story about the woman until he mentioned that even though she was a good friend, she was still extremely scary and sometimes mean to him.

Natsu also talked about the other member of his team, a blue exceed named Happy. Lucy had to ask what an exceed was, and that led to a whole other conversation about how he hatched the flying feline from an egg, and raised him with one of his friends. Lucy didn't miss the way his right green iris flickered with red flakes. She was about to ask him about that when he started up again.

Natsu spoke so fast it was hard to keep up with him sometimes. He was so excited and passionate when talking about his friends. He said they were like his family. It was refreshing to see such a genuine smile on someone's face, and Lucy found herself smiling along with him.

What really made her mind boggle was when Natsu mentioned _other_ dragon slayers. Lucy knew they were rare, so finding out that he knew of six others was hard to believe. Still, the pink haired man continued to talk about them.

Natsu said the ones that were apart of his guild used lightning, iron, and sky dragon slayer magic. Lucy asked about what that really meant, which got him describing all the different types - _even about the dragon slayers who weren't a part of his guild_.

When he was finished, Lucy was stunned. She'd never heard of so many different types of magic, and that was just in one category. After just a few conversations with Natsu, she was beginning to see the world of magic was more vast than she ever thought possible.

Lucy briefly thought about asking Natsu if they could seek the other dragon slayers' help. Seven of them plus her would be overkill, and they'd slay the dragon in no time. However, she decided it'd be best not to mention it.

Dragons were very sensitive creatures, who could hear, smell, and see from great distances. The less people they had, meant the less chance of getting caught. She was already going to have a tough time sneaking up on one, so seven extra people would be damn near impossible.

Another thing that stopped her from asking for more help was her fear. Despite being extremely interested in learning about their type of magic, she felt it was unnatural for mere humans to possess so much power. The fact that they held this power _and_ were able to roam freely around the continent terrified her.

How long would it take before their dragon magic corrupted their hearts and they became the seekers of destruction, just like the creatures their magic stemmed from? What could possibly stop them?

Nothing, that's what.

Except maybe Lucy.

She debated whether to tell the church about these wizards after she returned with END's horn. Maybe they would tell her to eradicate the dragon slayers, before they had a chance to hurt innocent people.

She had no connections with these wizards, no allegiance, so it would be easy to side against them. However, the more time she spent with Natsu, the less she felt that way. She couldn't say the same about the other dragon slayers he spoke of, but for some reason, she felt like Natsu was different.

Like maybe he wouldn't give into the darkness that all dragons possessed.

It really threw Lucy through a loop. She'd been raised to believe that all dragons were bad, but she never expected to run into a dragon slayer. She assumed deep down he'd be the same, but he never really showed a bad side to him. Well, maybe when he was fighting those men who were trying to capture Lucy, but that was justified because he was mad and trying to protect her.

She was extremely confused, and decided it'd be best not to make any rash decisions when she couldn't think straight. Only time would tell if he was a good guy or a bad guy, and honestly as long as he stayed good enough for them to kill END, she was fine with him switching to the dark side.

She'd have to kill him of course, but a dragon slayer couldn't be as strong as a dragon, right? She wasn't really sure, and she didn't feel like debating it anymore.

That's how she found herself, sitting by a campfire that Natsu made - _with his breath_ \- and talking about which area they were going to look for the dragon next. Lucy favored the mountains, saying a dragon would likely be there, while Natsu insisted that they keep to the forests, assuring her they're bound to run into him there.

Whenever Lucy asked for more information about _him_ , he got really vague - _which was odd for the normally talkative man_.

Natsu described the dragon as being bigger than a two story house. He was a dark red creature, with several black scales scattered over its back. Scars adorned its face and body, though Natsu didn't know exactly why.

Lucy figured he didn't have the chance to ask, since the dragon was probably hostile and trying to kill Natsu. She didn't ask to confirm her suspicions, but she was pretty sure she knew the truth.

Lucy only had a few details about the dragon herself. She already knew it was red and black, and vicious. She also knew it had black horns, but the size of the horn in her bag - _that she kept secret from Natsu-_ didn't match Natsu's description of the beast.

If the dragon was indeed bigger than a house, why was his horn so small. Lucy figured it must really just be the tip, and the whole thing was much larger. Her piece was shorter than her hand, so there was no telling just how big it really was. Still, for such a small chunk it was extremely heavy.

Other than the little description she had of it, she only had the name of the dragon and the knowledge of the awful deeds it's done throughout its long life. The creature is said to be over four hundred years old, which is too long to be causing destruction. She _had_ to take him out, and soon.

Lucy tried asking for more details about the dragon from Natsu, since he's actually seen it, but he kept saying, "you'll see when you meet him."

The blonde was not satisfied with that answer, but it wasn't like she was in a position to haggle for more information. She had nothing to offer him, except maybe her company, which he seemed to favor.

The blonde had tried three times to escape Natsu since she met him. Every time she got less than a mile away from him before he popped right by her side and started talking like nothing happened. She didn't know if he just couldn't take a hint, or if he was purposely ignoring the fact that she was trying to ditch him.

She did feel a little bad for trying to leave him, but she couldn't spend too much time around him. It wasn't that she hated him or anything, quite the opposite in fact.

She had started to really _like_ spending time with the pink haired man, even if he was a bit strange. He made her feel _weird_ , and that scared her.

The most accurate word to describe Natsu would be spontaneous. He was always up for a new adventure. He would get easily distracted too, trying to get her to play with him or to go explore a new town - _though she reasoned there was no way a dragon would be in a town full of people_.

He was generally a carefree guy, and that confused Lucy. When she met him, he seemed determined to finding this dragon, but the more time she spent with him, the less he seemed interested in actually finding it. She was starting to think he was just along for the ride at this point, but she didn't completely mind the company.

He was very nice to her, and even offered to catch them food and cook it for her so she wouldn't go hungry. Since she met him she hadn't gone a day without food, so that was sweet of him.

He always had something to talk about too, so the conversations never ran dry. She was surprised to learn how much of the world she was missing out on just because she spent her life at the church. However, she was grateful for the life she had, and wouldn't trade it for anything else.

There were other traits that Lucy found herself liking about Natsu.

She grew fond of his laugh. It was genuine, and full of happiness. She envied him for that, knowing her own laugh sounded dry and plain. She often times found herself trying to be funny, just so he could grace her ears with that joyful sound.

His infectious grin was another thing she found herself liking about the wizard. He seemed so confident when he smiled at her, and it sent goosebumps all over her fair skin.

Natsu was also very protective of her. With his sharp hearing he was able to detect danger from far away, and would lead her to the safest path so she wouldn't even chance an encounter with anything potentially risky.

Lucy found this both endearing, and _annoying_.

She was a grown woman, and could take care of herself. Still, having someone look after her was a nice change of pace. She was so used to being bullied for being different, and for the church officials to just brush it off like it was normal, that she found she actually liked when Natsu took care of her.

That's when she noticed the weird feeling he gave her.

It was subtle at first. He would gaze at her for a little to long, or his hand would brush against her when they walked together. She noticed her heart would beat just a little bit faster, and her cheeks would warm up, but she discounted those signs as her being sick.

However, after the first three weeks, she could no long just ignore her feelings.

Yes, Lucy indeed found herself having a crush on the handsome young man - _who she found out was twenty-five years old, even though he didn't look it_. She didn't want to admit it at first, but it was impossible to deny.

 _Hell_ , Natsu couldn't even look at her without her palms sweating or her face heating up ten degrees.

She was sure this was just a phase. She had crushes in the past, but none this strong. She felt herself getting more comfortable and nervous around him all at the same time. It was like she was _excited_ to have her heart beat wildly against her chest.

Of course she'd never tell him any of that!

It was none of his business how she felt about him. Besides, once she completes her mission she was leaving, going back to the church and never seeing him again. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't have any type of future with him.

She was a maiden, and she swore to remain pure for the duration of her life. It was against the rules to be anything more than friends with someone of the opposite sex, unless the officials decided you could marry. Even then, they were the ones to choose the potential spouse, and there was no way they'd ever invite a dragon slayer into their church.

Magic was frowned upon, and the only reason they looked the other way for Lucy was because she was _only_ using it to finish her mission to eradicate a demon. Of course that wasn't completely accurate. She often times summoned her spirits just to talk to them, although it was always in secret.

Speaking of her spirits, she hadn't called any of them out in a month. Most of it was due to her not needing to fight, but it was also because she found herself conversing with Natsu more and more as the days passed. Still, she did miss her friends.

She thought about telling the dragon slayer about her type of magic, but it was better to let it stay a secret. As far as he knew she was just a plain woman, who happens to know how to wield a whip, and is searching for a dragon. He really didn't need to know much more, although that didn't stop him from asking.

Unlike Natsu, the book of Lucy's life remained closed. Only sometimes did she let a small fact about her life slip out, but it was only tidbits that he couldn't do much with. It was things like she liked to read, or that she really liked the color pink, or that she had a last name, but wouldn't give it to him.

Natsu still tried to get her to talk. Mostly he asked about where she was from, but she wouldn't reveal that information. Despite having a crush on him, she still didn't trust him. She wanted to, but her mind just wouldn't allow such a comfort.

He was an outsider.

And that's all that mattered.

Lucy remained silent while they ate the fishes Natsu had caught for them. He mumbled something about Happy loving fish, and that he missed his friend.

"You know, you don't _have_ to come with me," the blonde said, taking another bite of meat. She didn't want to be responsible for his lost time with his pals back home.

The dragon slayer rose a brow at her, "what makes you say that?"

"I can take care of myself. If you want to go back and see your friends I'm not going to stop you," she reasoned. He was free to leave anytime he wanted to, where as every time she left, he always followed.

Natsu looked at her carefully before grinning, "even though I miss them, I'm still having fun with you, Luce."

 _'He did it again, he called me that silly nickname...'_ Lucy bit her bottom lip harshly, hoping the pain could stop her cheeks from heating up. She felt so vulnerable when she got this way, and it was making the independent woman worry. She just hoped her pink haired companion didn't know what was going on.

Unfortunately for her, Natsu wasn't as dense as he seemed.

The dragon slayer was well aware of her feelings for him. He could see the look in her eyes, the longing she felt for him. It wasn't hard to see, he just didn't know what to do with it. He'd be lying if he denied he had his own feelings for the blonde. She was really something else, something special.

She certainly could hold her own in a fight, and Natsu really loved that about her. She was also nice - _when she wanted to be_ -, and he found himself growing more attached to her with every passing day they spent together.

He felt like he should guard her, but he wasn't sure from what. It was a primal urge he felt when he thought she might be in danger, so he kept her close, and kept potential enemies away.

He especially enjoyed the sound of her soft laughter. She rarely let herself get comfortable enough around him to do so, but when she did he savored the sound. It always brought a smile to his face.

Speaking of smiles, he loved her's too. When her lips tugged up he felt his heart melt. She had a beautiful smile, but she hardly ever showed it.

She was also a great listener. She would remain silent while he talked and talked about all his wild adventures, his crazy friends, and his silly antics. It was nice to have someone's undivided attention, but sometimes it was a bad thing that _all_ she did was listen.

He wanted to know more about Lucy, but she would always close him off to her life. For everything he knew about her, there were probably a hundred things he didn't know. She was a walking mystery, and he desperately wanted to learn more about her.

She was also very pretty - _though 'pretty' would be putting it lightly_. Natsu thought she was beautiful, and he rarely felt that way about women. There had only been a few females he'd been with, but none compared to Lucy.

It wasn't just her appearance that was stunning, it was her personality too. He had only known her for a month, but he knew a good heart when he saw one.

She was like pure light, almost painful to look at for to long, because he knew he'd just get burned. That was why he didn't let himself succumb to his feelings for her. She was hiding something from him, but he wasn't sure why.

He figured she didn't trust him. It was easy to see this girl was used to closing herself off from people, but he hoped he was making progress with her, showing her that it was okay to open up. He wasn't holding his breath though, knowing she had a right to privacy just like he did.

He was determined to break down her walls. There was nothing to fear about him, because he wasn't a bad person. Sure he was a little destructive at times, and a little reckless, but that was actually normal for a dragon slayer.

He knew he'd get her to crack, to reveal some bit of information about herself that he could use to get closer to her. It was only a matter of time. They hadn't been very successful when it came to finding the dragon, so Natsu figured she'd be stuck with him for a long, _long_ time.

He didn't mind one bit.

* * *

Lucy could feel herself waking up before her body could fully process what was happening. It was hard to sleep when the sun was already up and the birds were chirping loudly. She also couldn't ignore the rock that was digging in her hip. How many nights in a row had they slept outside? Fourteen? Twenty? She lost track.

Without moving her body, she tried to get a sense of where she was. She remembered last night they talked for hours about missions Natsu had been on, and she sat quietly and listened. Of course he had tried to get her to talk about her past, which she replied with, "no thanks. Tell me more about _you_."

She was pleased to smell the fresh air. Usually it smelt like dead leaves and dirt, but this morning it smelt just like their campfire Natsu made last night, with a hint of something spicy. She wasn't quite sure what the combination of smells was, but she wasn't about to complain, seeing as it was the best smell her nose had in weeks.

The blonde felt a soft breeze drift by her, granting her a little relief from the sweltering heat. She didn't remember it being so hot yesterday, and there were still several weeks until summer, so the high temperature was out of place.

Keeping her eyes closed, she shifted her hand, instantly recognizing the feeling of flesh under her fingers. It wouldn't normally be alarming, except for the fact that it wasn't _her_ flesh she was feeling.

Her brown eyes snapped open, only to see a white, scaly pattern. _'Natsu's scarf.'_

She lifted her head, confirming her horrifying thought.

She was cuddling with Natsu.

Sometime during the night, she had rolled over, and was now resting on half of his body. What was worse was he didn't seem to mind at all!

She could have played it off that he didn't know it was happening, but she could now clearly feel his warm arm wrapped around her waist. She was so _indecent_ , laying with a man who was not her husband. She was a holy maiden, and there was no room for affection in her life.

Still, she didn't move.

Lucy really didn't want to. Was it selfish to say she actually felt loved like this? Probably, but she didn't care. She had gone so long without a comforting touch, and she greatly missed the feeling. There was nothing sexual about it, she just liked being close to him.

And that thought scared her more.

This was all supposed to be temporary. Find the dragon, slay the dragon, then go back to her normal life. No part in her plan allowed her to fall for the guy... Or to cuddle!

She let out a small gasp when she felt his body stir. He was waking up!

Lucy panicked. She didn't know if she was supposed to rip herself away from him - _which she didn't want to do_ -, or if it'd be better to pretend she was still asleep. She did neither, and held her breath as she saw his eye lids slowly open.

His green eyes were cloudy, and she guessed he was still partially asleep. She released the breath she'd been holding when his eyes darted towards her.

She couldn't tell if he was upset that she was so close, or indifferent. It was difficult to tell any emotion that might be dancing in his eyes. She swore she saw a flicker of red in his right eye again before he blinked a few times.

The clearing of a throat was heard before he whispered, "Luce?"

"Yeah?" She whispered back, unsure of where this was going.

Natsu stared at her. This wasn't the first time she'd rolled over to sleep next to him, though this was the first time _she_ woke up first. Usually when he found her like this he'd gently unwrap her body from him and scoot away, letting her believe that nothing happened. He didn't want to embarrass her after all. He could easily tell she was shy when it came to things like this.

Now, he wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do.

She looked a little scared, like she was worried that he was mad or something. That couldn't be further from the truth. He loved feeling her against him. It felt like safety and calmness all mixed into one pleasant feeling when she laid by him.

Lucy was still waiting for him to say something, but he really didn't have much to say. _'Good morning beautiful,'_ crossed his mind, but he certainly didn't want to send her running. If all it took was his signature grin to make her blush, he wasn't sure what an outright compliment would do. He really didn't feel like tracking her down if she decided to run away from him... _again_.

Instead he tightened the grip over her waist and closed his eyes. "Mornin'," he mumbled, letting the last bit of sleep leave his body.

"M-morning," Lucy said back, her voice shaky. The hand she had on his chest was trembling, and he wondered if she even knew it was there.

The dragon slayer felt the corners of his lips tug upwards. He had a devious thought, and didn't think twice before executing his move.

Before she could even comprehend what he was doing, he rolled, until he was the one towering over her. He made sure to keep a decent gap between them, just in case.

Truthfully he just wanted to see her reaction. He liked her, and he knew she liked him. The only question was did she want something more than friendship?

Natsu had been in a few relationships before, though none of them lasted very long. At the time, he wished things would have worked out, but now he was glad they ended when they did. He never fell in love with anyone before, and he didn't see any reason in staying with someone if the relationship wasn't heading anywhere.

The pink haired man hadn't been intimate with anyone for the past few years, but that didn't bother him. He didn't mind being single, even if some of his friends told him he should find someone to settle down with - _as if it were that easy to just 'find someone'._

Lucy on the other hand, sparked something in his heart he was unfamiliar with. It was like a ball of anxiety, excitement, and a little bit of fear combined.

Whatever it was she was doing to him, he liked it. He wanted to stick around to see where it might lead to.

Natsu licked his suddenly dry lips, and he saw the way her wide eyes followed the movement. He loved how he was able to capture her complete attention, and decided to use it to his advantage.

"I wanna try something," Natsu mumbled, causing the blonde's breath to hitch from the roughness of his voice.

Lucy was ensnared by his dark green eyes. They gazed at her, trying to read her like a book. He suppressed the urge to pout when he found nothing new. Searching for an answer in her eyes clearly wasn't working for him, so he settled with a more direct approach.

The celestial wizard didn't trust her voice, knowing she'd crack if she tried to use the wretched thing. So instead, she nodded, terrified and excited at what he wanted to _try_.

The dragon slayer smiled, his sharp teeth coming into view. All she could do was stare, as his head began to lower.

The closer he got, the more she started to sweat. She didn't know if it was because she was nervous, or because Natsu was naturally hot. Either way, she ignored the dampness on her body as her heart pounded violently against her rib cage.

Lucy felt his warm breath fanning over her lips, and chills ran down her spine. This was it, her first kiss. It was only then that she realized she really wanted it to happen... For it to be with Natsu.

She may not be able to live a normal life: Get married, have children, and grow old with a husband. That was out of her control, but this...

She wanted this, and no one at the church would be able to stop her. She could afford a small sliver of normality, and no one but Natsu and herself would have to know about it.

The dragon slayer was now less than an inch away. He was just about to finally kiss the beautiful woman, when a loud boom sounded from the forest, interrupting them. Birds were flying around crazy and small critters were swarming the place.

"What's going on?" Lucy said, pulling away from the pink haired man. Trepidation and fear leaked into her body as she tried to figure out what was happening. She was a person who favored control and order, and disliked when it was taken away.

Natsu opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he heard it.

It was clear as day to him, though it was confusing to the blonde.

It was a loud _roar_.

Lucy shook from the terror that took over, and Natsu didn't think twice when he wrapped his arms around her, pulling the blonde into a tight embrace. He knew there was nothing to be scared of, but he still recognized that Lucy was lost, her eyes darting all around her.

Suddenly the sun was gone. The forest was now just as dark as it'd been right before sunset last night, and both wizards looked up to see the cause.

Natsu smiled while Lucy gasped.

Overhead, they saw the tan underbelly of a large creature.

A _very_ large creature... that could _fly_.

Its wings were spread wide, and Lucy could see the sun's light trying to shine through the thin webbing between bones.

She noted the sharp claws adorning its large hands and feet, and she couldn't miss the red scales covering its body. Several black scales were placed throughout the sea of red.

"Is that a...?" Lucy couldn't finish her question. She'd only seen pictures of them in books, and even then it didn't describe how massive and intimidating they really were.

"Yeah," Natsu said, watching the creature fly with ease. He looked back down at the blonde who was now clinging to his vest. His toothy grin grew as he saw the wonder in her brown eyes. "That's a dragon."

* * *

 **Nalu week has begun! I'm so excited to see all the different submissions for this week.**

 **Thank you for the favs/follows for this story so far. And thank you to those who reviewed: FlameDragonHime, Crimsonlink310, mikethepokemaster, fanficlove2014, & beatnik. **

**I hope it meets your expectations. I'm sorry if this chapter seemed dull, things pick up next chapter.**

 **If the rapid updates get overwhelming, don't feel pressured to read it right away. Take all the time you need. :) Also the chapter/ day thing might get confusing, but as long as you read it in order it will make sense.**

 **See you tomorrow with Day Two: Reunion. Let me know whatcha think!**


	3. Reunion

**Day Two: Reunion**

"Shhh," Natsu warned the blonde maiden. "You have to be quiet."

Lucy huffed at the dragon slayer, "I _am_ being quiet." Despite her annoyance, she kept her volume at an all time low as she quickly walked through the forest.

The two companions had been tracking the dragon they saw over an hour ago. Lucy couldn't fathom how such a large creature could cover so much ground just by flying. Natsu was leading the way, claiming he could smell the dragon's scent.

The celestial wizard had no idea how he could possibly smell the dragon, but she didn't question him. Instead she followed behind closely, trying to avoid making noise so they could successfully sneak up on the beast.

"He's not much further," Natsu said in a boyish whisper. Lucy noted the smile on the dragon slayer's face. He looked _giddy_ , and not at all in the foul mood she expected him to be. He had said before that he needed to _give the creature a piece of his mind_. To Lucy, that implied some type of physical violence, but the way he looked right now said differently.

Lucy decided to chalk it up to him being excited that he was finally going to run into the dragon. She felt the same way, but mainly she felt nervous. Her entire mission was about this beast, and she couldn't blow her chance to kill it. She wasn't sure she'd get another one.

They felt a harsh breeze sweep by them, and Natsu tensed, "damn it. He's moving again."

"Again?" They had already traveled a few miles, "what can we do to catch up?"

The pink haired man grimaced, "I'm not sure..." Then Lucy saw his expression brighten. "I have an idea, just don't make a sound," Natsu instructed.

Before Lucy could ask him why, Natsu's arms were around her body, and she was being lifted up. A small squeak slipped from her lips as her body became squished against his torso. He was cradling her in his arms bridal style.

"Hold on," Natsu said, and in the blink of an eye, he was taking off in a dead sprint.

Lucy clung to his torso, noticing the heat from his body, and the firm muscles hidden under tan skin. Her face flushed as she tucked her head under his chin, since it was the only way to block the painful wind that kept hitting her face.

The only noise Lucy heard was the wind. She was surprised that despite his running, Natsu wasn't making a sound. Not even a twig snapped as he jumped over debris and twisted around trees. The maiden wondered if this was a special skill that dragon slayers possessed, but she didn't ask since he told her not to make a sound.

Natsu moved so fast, the trees around her started to blur together as he increased his speed. She wanted to know why he didn't just do this in the first place, and she intended on voicing her question later, right now she had to focus on her attacks.

It was hard for her to think of which battle strategies she should use when her mind kept drifting to the sensation of Natsu's fingers clutching at her body. He made her feel protected, as well as embarrassed. She'd never been this close to a man before, and she would surely be punished if anyone at the church found out about her compromising position.

Her heart was pounding wildly, and she didn't know if she should blame the closeness of Natsu, or the anticipation of finally seeing the dragon up close.

Suddenly, Natsu stopped.

Lucy's ears were ringing from the change in her equilibrium. She didn't even have a chance to regain her composure before Natsu gently set her on her feet. The blonde stumbled a bit before warm hands settled on her waist to keep her still.

The maiden blushed from his bold action, and worked to shove his hands away from her body.

Natsu didn't seem to notice as he leaned in closer, his hot lips brushing against her soft cheek on their journey to her ear. "Quiet, he's here," he barely whispered.

Lucy's brown eyes widened in shock. The dragon was here? She waited until Natsu pulled away before giving him incredulous look, but he simply pointed towards the tree line.

The duo were at the edge of the forest, and Lucy could see the sun light shining through the gaps of trees. With careful steps, the two walked towards the exit.

The sun blurred her eyes, and it took a moment to make out exactly what she was seeing. They were now in a clearing, lush green grass-covered the land. Lucy noted a large, sparkling lake next to a red mountain.

Only upon further inspection did the maiden realize that was not a mountain at all. Instead of being made of stone, red and black scales adorned the large object.

She opened her mouth to speak, but a warm hand covered her lips. She looked over to Natsu, who was shaking his head.

 _'Oh right,'_ Lucy thought, they were supposed to be sneaking up on it.

The maiden followed his lead, watching as he took calculated steps towards the beast. _'Natsu must want to take it out while it's unaware.'_

Lucy had prepared for a fight, but this would be a better option. They had less chances of getting hurt with a sneak attack, and hopefully the dragon slayer would pull through for her and do exactly as his title dictated.

They now stood close enough to the beast that she could see it expanding and deflating with every heavy breath it took. She could distinguish between it's belly and tail, but its head was facing away from them.

 _'This is it,'_ Lucy thought. _'All my hard work and training has led me to this moment...'_

The blonde's hand grazed over her whip, and noticed that Natsu had yet to turn his fire magic on. _'What is he waiting for?'_

Lucy decided she couldn't wait for her companion any longer. She had to take this beast down, with or without Natsu's help.

The celestial wizard's other hand grabbed for her pouch, thinking about which key she should use first. She decided that Taurus would be the best bet, and if things got bad, she could run over to the lake and summon Aquarius.

Lucy was about to snatch the golden bull's key from her pouch when a loud, booming voice came from her right.

"IGNEEL!"

The blonde maiden jumped away from Natsu, who was now running towards the dragon, who started to stir.

She watched in horror as the thing stretched itself out, revealing his face to the blonde. Her brown eyes doubled in size, and she suddenly lost the ability to move her body. This was the moment she'd been waiting for, but now she was frozen with fear.

The dragon's dark eyes took in the sight of the stranger, before flitting over to the pink haired dragon slayer, who was now climbing on his scaly back. The creature didn't look angry in the slightest, if anything he looked _amused_.

"How have you been?" The dragon's voice shook the very ground she stood on.

Natsu finally stopped, opting to sit on the dragon's shoulder. His smile was so genuine that it confused Lucy to the core. "I've been great! How 'bout you?"

The conversation between the dragon and dragon slayer soon faded into the background until the only thing Lucy could hear was her beating heart, pumping blood that was roaring in her ears. Slowly she started piecing things together.

Natsu called that dragon Igneel.

That dragon wasn't attacking them.

Natsu and that dragon seemed to know each other on a friendly level.

It all led Lucy to one terrible conclusion:

That dragon was not END.

Lucy closed her eyes. She just stood there, hands letting go of her weapons, and head tilting downward. She felt like a failure, because she had wasted a month of her time searching for a dragon she didn't need to find.

The maiden felt the slight prick in her eyes, letting her know her body was flooding with emotions, and the only way to regulate them was to let out some tears. However, she refused to cry. She wouldn't let these emotions escape and become useless.

No, she would instead harness them, and use them to fuel her hatred for END all the more.

 _'You can still do this Lucy... This is just... a set back... Yeah...'_ Convincing herself was not an easy task, and did little help to calm her down. She could feel herself spiraling into a void of hopelessness, and only realized where she was when she felt heat on her back.

The blonde opened her eyes, staring at the ground and smelling the fresh air blow by her. "Huh?" She mumbled to herself, remembering that she was in a clearing of the forest.

"You alright?" That all to familiar voice asked.

She glanced up, confirming that it belonged to Natsu. He looked worried, placing a comforting hand on her back while he asked again, "are you alright, Luce?"

"Y-yeah," she found her voice to be soft and weak. She hated feeling like this.

"Okay," Natsu said, but he looked unconvinced. "I wanted to introduce you to my dad."

"Your... Dad?" Lucy looked past Natsu to see that the large, red dragon was now standing on two legs.

Her heart dropped when she took in his incredible height. She's never seen something stand so tall, even the church where she was raised didn't reach that high. He was comparable to a mountain, and that just brought on more fear.

"It's alright," the pink haired man said, noticing her slight trembling. "He's not gonna hurt ya."

Natsu stepped to the side to look up at the dragon. "Igneel, this is Lucy. She's my friend who helped me look for you," Natsu looked between the blonde and the beast.

Lucy flinched when the dragon spoke, "it's a pleasure to meet you Lucy. I trust Natsu hasn't been a bother?"

The vibrations from his voice traveled through the ground and up her body. All she could do was stare at the massive creature with an awed expression.

"Yo," Natsu said, waving his hand in front of her face. "You still there?"

"I-I..." The blonde blinked rapidly to clear her head, "I need to go sit down..."

"Are you sure?" The pink haired man frowned when he noticed Lucy's vacant eyes.

"Yes," she nodded, but her feet weren't moving.

"I'll be right back Igneel," Natsu assured before wrapping a warm arm around her shoulders. He eased her out of her standing position until her feet slowly carried her towards the lake.

The dragon slayer was worried that Lucy might be feeling ill, but he shook it off, knowing that she was probably just overwhelmed. Most people have similar reactions when they see a dragon for the first time.

Still, that only made Natsu more curious. She was looking for a dragon, but she never really said why. He assumed she just wanted to see one because truthfully, everyone wanted to see one at least once in their lifetime.

He thought it was a little cute, that once she saw one she froze up. It was amusing to see her scared of the gentle giant, because that's what Igneel was. He would never harm her, or anyone else for that matter, but clearly Lucy thought he might.

Of course Igneel had the ability to cause a lot of trouble, but the dragon opted to spending his life traveling from forest to forest in peace. Occasionally the dragon could be found wandering around mountains, but Natsu's red-scaled father preferred the wooded areas.

Natsu stopped when they reached the edge of the lake, far enough so she could feel comfortable, but not so far that he wouldn't be able to keep an eye on her. He helped her sit down, realizing the initial shock still hadn't worn off.

"Hey," the man said, using his thumb to rub circles on her delicate hand. "Everything's alright, if you need anything I'll be right over there. I promise you're safe, he's friendly."

Lucy just nodded, she had only heard half of what he said because her mind was switching between running a mile a minute, to nothing at all. It was really hard for other parts of her body to function when her brain wasn't at full capacity.

She vaguely recalled Natsu placing a soft kiss to her hand before he left her by the lake. She looked down at the clear water, easily seeing fish swim peacefully by the edge.

The blonde took a deep breath when she finally found a balance in her mind. Now the damn thing was only jogging through her thoughts, and she could control her body again. Shock had worn off, and now she had to deal with her future.

For the first time in a while, Lucy didn't know what to do.

* * *

While Natsu was enjoying his reunion with the dragon known as Igneel, Lucy could be found sitting at the edge of the lake. Her legs were swishing through the water as she contemplated her next move.

She had spent far longer than she wanted trying to track down the dragon, only to find out it wasn't the one she was looking for after all. In hindsight she supposed it was her own fault. In all this time she could have brought up the name of the dragon she was trying to kill, but there was no use dwelling over it now.

The blonde had wasted a lot of time, and didn't know how to make up for it. She could always ask the dragon over there if he knew where END would be, but she was sure he wouldn't give up the location of another dragon if he knew it. To him, she was probably an outsider, not worthy of his trust.

She might be able to convince Natsu to ask Igneel, but it seemed rude to do that. Besides, it was time she cut ties with him. He found what he was looking for, so there was no reason for him to tag along with her on her wild goose chase. Although wild _dragon_ chase seemed more accurate.

She looked over to her bag that Natsu must have set beside her. Inside contained part of the horn of END. She wanted to laugh, knowing now that the dragon she sought out had to be much smaller than Igneel.

Not only were Igneel's horns completely there, they were also huge. The chunk she had was much smaller, so it had to belong to a tiny dragon. That only made her more confused, since she always pictured the beast as giant. Especially since that's what the church officials told her. They said END was a large dragon, but there was no way.

She decided not to think about it right now.

Lucy grabbed her bag and stood up. She debated giving Natsu a proper goodbye, but decided against it. She had already become far to attached to the dragon slayer, and didn't want to go through the potential pain of losing the closest friend she'd had since her parents were killed.

Plus she was still embarrassed about their almost kiss, and that was enough of a reason to send her packing. She was not supposed to even entertain such thoughts, and here she was about to willingly kiss a man she just met! She must be delirious to think anything good could come out of these crazy ideas.

The maiden took one long, last look at the pink haired man. He was sitting on the dragon's shoulder, and she could faintly hear the sound of his laughter. It was a nice way to say goodbye, and at least she got to hear him laugh again.

With a deep sigh, Lucy turned away, walking back into the forest until she disappeared behind the trees.

* * *

It had been a few hours since Lucy left Natsu and Igneel. This was the longest she'd been away from the dragon slayer since they teamed up, and she assumed it meant he was finally letting her go. What should have been a comfort, was actually a burden.

She disliked being away from the pyro, and thought more often than not about turning around and trying to find him again. She never did though, always moving forward and not looking back.

It was silly to think things would work out so well for her. They hadn't in the past, so why start now? She only had one mission in life, and that was to slay the dragon that slaughtered her parents. All other things were pointless, which included her affections for the pink haired man.

Lucy saw that the sun was still high in the sky, and she had plenty of time before it became dark. Of course she didn't exactly know where she was, so she didn't know if she should walk faster to get to the nearest town, or go a different direction because she was going the wrong way.

Natsu had been guiding them for the majority of their journey, so she hadn't even bothered using her map in weeks. She doubted it would be of much use now, but she decided to try anyway.

Just as she thought, it looked as though it could have been in another language. She had no idea where she might be, and could only use the knowledge that she had been near a lake... hours ago.

She felt utterly hopeless.

"Might as well take a break," the blonde mumbled to herself as she saw a nice, smooth rock to sit on. It was large, and thankfully in the shade, so it didn't burn her bottom when she sat down.

"Let's see," she studied the map more. Maybe now that she was resting, she could think clearly.

Her focus was completely on the map, so she didn't hear the footsteps approaching behind her.

"Whatcha doing?" A deep voice came sounded in her ear.

Lucy screamed, jumping off the rock and instinctively grabbing her whip. She cracked it towards the shadowy figure, but the bastard was quicker. They grabbed the whip and started tugging on it, bringing her closer to the darkness.

"Fine! Keep it!" She let go of her weapon, seeing the stranger stumble backwards.

"Open! Gate of the golden bull!" Lucy pulled out the golden key to summon her strongest spirit. "Taurus!"

"Mooooo!" The humanoid bull appeared, battle axe already in his hands and ready for a fight.

"I'll take care of him miss Luuuuuuucy!" Her spirit ran towards the figure, but it jumped high in the air.

Blocking the sun with its body, Lucy couldn't see what the stranger was doing. She planted her feet firmly on the ground, ready to make a move. "Taurus! Hit it with your axe!"

The bull nodded, throwing his battle axe in the air to throw off their opponent.

"Ah, shit!"

Lucy was just about to smirk that the attack landed, before realizing that she recognized that voice.

"Oh no," she whispered to herself, and watched in horror as the rest of the scene took place in slow motion.

Taurus's axe fell to the ground, the sharp blade digging deep into the dirt. Blood splattered on the ground, covering the weapon and dead leaves.

The bull was about to grab his weapon when a swift kick to the side of his head knocked him unconscious. Her spirit vanished to the celestial world where he would get a chance to rest.

As if to confirm her suspicions, the pink haired man came out of the shadows. His right arm was covered in blood, and he wore a surprisingly cheerful smile on his face, despite the obvious pain he must be in.

"W-wh..." Lucy wasn't sure what she would even say. She hadn't expected Natsu to be the mystery attacker. If she did she never would have called out a spirit, because now she injured the dragon slayer _and_ he now knew for a fact she was a wizard who used celestial magic.

She gazed at his face, looking for any trace of anger, but found none in his dark green eyes.

"Well," Natsu said, excitement laced in his voice. "What are you waiting for? Call another one out!"

"Huh?" The blonde deadpanned. Out of all the things he could have possibly said, _that_ was not one she expected.

"Call another one out! Maybe one a little stronger, that guy was way to easy to take out," the dragon slayer said, oblivious to the scowl forming on her face.

"I'm not going to call out my friends just for you to fight them!" She was seething at the idea of using her spirits as some kind of fighting game.

"Whoa, chill out," Natsu lifted up his undamaged arm to show he meant her no harm. "I just wanted to spar with them. It's been a while since I've had a good fight." It was true, the dragon slayer was itching for some type of battle. Fairy Tail wizards weren't known for just sitting around - _with the exception of his guild mate named Nab, but that's another story for another day_.

She huffed in response, placing Taurus's key back in her pouch. The woman didn't bother calling another spirit out, knowing it would be pointless to send them to fight against Natsu. It would literally accomplish nothing.

"Oh don't be like that," Natsu laughed, and Lucy found herself leaning in towards the pleasant sound.

"Look, if you don't want to fight that's fine," the dragon slayer said before sitting down on _her_ rock. He finally brought his attention over to his injured arm.

Blood still flowed from the deep cut on his bicep, but he didn't seem to notice. What shocked Lucy more was that it looked like it had gotten smaller since the last time she saw it.

Finally snapping out of her stupor, she walked over to her bag and grabbed some medical tape. She was pretty good at dressing wounds, and was sure she'd do a good job again.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you," Natsu said when he stole a glance at the blonde.

She froze under his gaze, "a-and why's that?"

"Look for yourself."

The female raised a brow in confusion, but looked over at his arm anyways. Her mouth parted as she watched with a troubled mind, his wound was healing itself. Just in the time it took her to get to her bag, the cut had shrunk half its size.

"How did you...?" Lucy was stunned.

He shrugged, which was not a valid answer for the maiden. She gave him a rude glare, which made him laugh. "It's just a perk I have," he said it like it was obvious.

"Do all dragon slayers have that _perk_?" She asked, becoming more wary of the power these wizards seemed to hold. Accelerated healing would definitely pose a problem if she decided to talk to the church officials about her discovery.

"Er, not exactly," Natsu said, but didn't elaborate on the subject. "So when were you gonna tell me you were a wizard?"

"Never," she said a bit to quick, and realized she might have hurt his feelings based on the way his smile faltered.

"Oh."

"Sorry," she found herself actually apologetic about keeping that fact away from him.

"Not like it matters anyways," Natsu huffed, trying to brush off the implied insult she gave him. "I already knew you were a wizard."

"You did? How?" She wasn't sure she believed him, but she was curious to see what kind of answer he could come up with. It was sure to be entertaining - _if any of their past conversations were an indication of how wild his imagination was_.

The dragon slayer just squinted his eyes. "I can feel your magic energy," he said plainly. "Can't you feel _my_ magic?"

"I guess I did notice it when we first met... But I thought it was something only I could do," Lucy said honestly. "You're the first wizard I've been around since-" She stopped herself because she almost revealed her mother was also a wizard.

"First wizard since what?" Natsu asked, but after a few moments of silence he realized she wasn't going to spill the details. "Anyways, wizards give off different levels of magic energy depending on how strong their magic is. I can tell you hold a good amount of power."

"You can," she breathed, "why didn't you say anything earlier."

The dragon slayer just shrugged, "figured you wanted to keep it a secret."

"Thanks," Lucy said, actually meaning it. She was surprised he would respect her wishes like that, especially since he'd been trying to fish for information about her for weeks now. He could have easily brought that up to make her slip up, but he hadn't until now.

The blonde put the medical wrap back in her bag, then pulled out a small towel. "It's not the best, but it'll do until you can get to some water to wash this off," she rubbed the cloth over his blood, soaking it up in the hopes of preventing it from drying on his skin. The wound was already completely healed, and she was astonished that something like that was even possible.

"So you gonna tell me where you're from now?" Natsu asked, a cheeky grin on his face.

"I don't think so," though she honestly didn't know if it'd be the worst idea in the world to at least tell him a little about where she was raised. She ultimately decided against it, fear being the prime feeling that led her to stick with 'no'.

"That's fine," the pink haired male sighed.

When Lucy was done cleaning up most of the blood, she asked him to burn it. She didn't want to liter, but she also didn't want to bring it with her since it was contaminated now and had little chance of being cleaned thoroughly.

The pyro jumped at the chance to set something on fire, his excitement grew as it lit up in a brilliant flame. His fire was used for fighting, but lately all he'd been using it for was discarding trash, cooking, and making campfires. He really, _really_ wanted a fight.

"Do you want to go with me to Fairy Tail?" Natsu asked without much thought. He knew for a fact he could find multiple people to challenge to battle with him, and it seemed like a good idea to get Lucy more socialized. He had a feeling she lacked that from where ever she came from.

"Wh-what? No, I don't want to go there," Lucy had no intentions of deviating from her mission, and a trip to his wizard's guild would no doubt put her even further behind. She originally hoped to be done with her mission before two months had passed, but that didn't look likely.

The dragon slayer pouted, "why not? We already found the dragon. Let's go have some fun now."

The blonde sighed, taking a seat on a rather jagged rock. _'Stupid Natsu for taking my good rock!'_

She thought for a few moments before deciding to tell him about her mission. "That wasn't the dragon I'm looking for," Lucy finally said after getting over her annoyance that her original seat was unavailable.

"Really? I thought for sure Igneel would have been him. There's not a whole lot of dragons around," Natsu thought to himself, wondering who she could be searching for. "Who are you looking for?"

The holy maiden looked down at the dirt, avoiding any eye contact she could have with the pink haired man. "His name is END."

Natsu's body tensed, having been so long since he'd heard that name. "Is that so?" He tried to sound casual, hoping Lucy wouldn't catch anything from his tone.

"Yeah," the blonde finally looked up, her brown eyes boring into his own. "He's a demonic dragon, and my mission is to kill him."

The man's mouth fell open as his eyes widened. Red flakes danced in his right eye long enough for Lucy to confirm it was really happening, and not just her imagination. She assumed it had something to do with his type of magic, but chose not to comment on it in case it was a sensitive subject to him.

If there was one word Lucy had to describe Natsu as right now, she would guess it'd be afraid. His fingers were twitching, beads of sweat were forming on his forehead, and there was a nervous twitch in his eye.

"Have you heard of him?" The blonde asked, wondering why he was having such a strong reaction to what she just said. She figured it was because he didn't expect her to actually be able to kill a dragon, but she decided she might as well ask him just in case.

Slowly, the pyro nodded, "I have..." He looked troubled, and Lucy wondered what was going on in that thick skull of his.

"I didn't think he was a bad guy though..." Natsu seemed conflicted, though the female didn't know why. "What'd he do to earn a death sentence?"

The dragon slayer saw the way her brown eyes dulled. He had crossed a line somehow, but he wasn't letting up. This woman wanted to end the dragon's life, and he had no idea why.

Finally her lips parted, and a dreadful sentence left her mouth, "he killed my parents."

 _'LIES!'_

Natsu's mind screamed, _'lies, lies, lies!'_

He knew for a fact that END had never killed anyone, let alone this woman's parents. She must be wrong, there's no way. Natsu would know if END killed someone, because END was him.

Sure he didn't use that name often, and it was just what he called himself when he was in a certain transformation. Few dragon slayers had the capability of transforming into dragons, but Natsu was special. He had demon blood running through his veins, and he could unlock a special transformation that mixed his dragon side with his demonic side.

But just because he was part demon didn't mean he was a killer! He'd never even think of hurting someone like that. There had to be a mistake.

"Is there a chance you could be wrong?" He held out hope that she might be able to see past the lie.

"No," Lucy said, crushing his small shred of hope. "I'm absolutely sure, he has to be stopped."

Natsu didn't understand why she thought he killed her parents. He'd never even seen this girl before a month ago, so why does she have a vindictive goal. Questions swirled in his head, all involving what led her down this path. He knew she wouldn't tell him even if he asked, since Lucy held her secrets close.

"I see..." Natsu finally said to break the silence. "And you're not going to give up until he's dead?"

Lucy was surprised by what he said. He didn't go straight to doubting her abilities to slay a dragon, he just asked if she was going to give up. "I can't give up. I _have_ to kill him."

"Why do you have to kill him?" The dragon slayer couldn't fathom why she would want to harm him. He wondered who told her those horrible lies to brainwash her into thinking he was evil, or maybe she saw something and assumed it was him? He wasn't sure, and that troubled him.

"Did you not hear me? He killed my parents, and countless others. He needs to be put down before he hurts more innocent lives," Lucy reasoned. She sensed that Natsu wanted to defend the vile creature, though he didn't outright say it. She hoped she was just imagining it.

Natsu knew she already had her mind made up. He was sure if he told her the truth, that he was END, that she'd try to kill him. In a normal fight he could defeat her, she'd give him a run for his money, but in the end he knew he'd be victorious.

Unfortunately for him, this wasn't a normal fight.

If they were to go all out now, and actually fight for blood, he'd lose. There was no way he'd be able to hurt her, because he loved her. He knew it was stupid to fall in love with someone he barely knew, but his heart was absolute.

In the past month Natsu saw the little clues that told him she was a good person. She was kind, funny, and apparently extremely loyal.

He had fallen for the blonde woman, _hard_.

No, he couldn't kill her.

Natsu had three options.

He could try to fight, and end up dying by her hands. He'd give her life the purpose she was obviously looking for, but he really had no intentions on dying any time soon. He still had a lot of stuff he wanted to do with his life, and ending it now was just out of the question.

He could run away and avoid the maiden for the rest of his life. That was the safest choice. Sure he'd feel guilty for her wasting the rest of her life in search for a dragon she was never going to find, but it'd be better than dying.

Although the thought of leaving Lucy caused a pang in his chest. He didn't want to leave her, in fact he wanted to stay by her side, even after knowing her plans of slaying him.

Plus, Natsu Dragneel doesn't run away, it's just not who he is.

He decided to go with his third choice. He let out a sigh before throwing a fake smile on his face. "So where are we going next?"

"Huh?" Lucy looked surprised. "You already found your dragon. Why would you want to go anywhere with me?"

"Because," Natsu said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "I wanna be around you."

The maiden's cheeks blushed a nice scarlet red. She had to look away to calm her racing heart. It throbbed painfully, and she feared for her health. It certainly didn't seem normal to go through this so often, but it kept happening the more time she spent with the dragon slayer.

Natsu watched her, and decided he liked seeing Lucy flustered. She looked adorable, and he couldn't wait to poke fun at her. He could feel his own face heating up, but he really didn't mind. He had been honest with her by saying he wanted to be around her. He was willing to pretend to help her find _END_ in order to spend more time with Lucy, even if she ended up angry if she found out the truth.

However, Natsu had no intentions on her finding out the truth. Unless there was someway he could also convince her that he truly wasn't a bad guy, he planned on keeping his secret away from the blonde.

Natsu wanted to be near her. He felt drawn to her, like their was an invisible string attached to his heart that she held. She clearly wasn't aware of the hold she had over the dragon slayer, and he intended on keeping it that way. She seemed a little too pure to be playing around with the dragon, so he'd try to be on his best behavior while around her.

He had slipped up earlier when he tried to kiss her, so he'd be better from now on. After finding out her mission, he still felt the same about her. He loved her, but she didn't need to know that.

"Shouldn't you go back to Igneel?" Lucy's voice cut through his thoughts.

Natsu smiled warmly at her, "nah, I told him I was gonna go find you. 'Sides, he's staying there for a while in case I need to meet up with him later. There's no rush to get back."

"Oh," the maiden nodded. "Very well, if you still want to accompany me then I won't stop you." She was secretly happy he wanted to be with her.

The dragon slayer held back a snort as he grinned. Lucy had tried to run away from him four times already, yet _now_ he was allowed to tag along. She certainly was a weird girl.

But that was just it...

Natsu loved weird.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**

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 **See you tomorrow with Day Three: Admiration**


	4. Admiration (Part One)

**Day Three: Admiration (Part One)**

Two days had passed since Natsu reunited with Igneel. Lucy found herself sticking around that area while the dragon slayer and dragon caught up until she was ready to start her mission again.

She spent a good amount of her time training with her spirits to hone her skills, but truthfully it was just a way to distract her from the dragon slayer. She felt awkward being around him after their _almost_ kiss, and she wanted to avoid any future incidents between them.

Lucy had slipped up once, but she wouldn't allow herself to become weak again. Natsu was just her temporary companion, and nothing more. Despite her feelings for him, she couldn't pursue any type of relationship further than friendship.

Natsu didn't seem to notice the way she pulled away from him. Being distracted by Igneel had made him blind to her withdrawal. The maiden didn't mind though, knowing that he enjoyed talking to the dragon.

The blonde had the pleasure of talking to the adoptive father of her pink haired companion too, finding out that it was him who taught Natsu dragon slayer magic.

Lucy finally asked Igneel if he knew anything about END, not knowing that Natsu had already prepared Igneel for the very question.

"Magnolia?" The blonde maiden repeated.

"Yes," the great beast spoke, ground shaking from the vibrations of his voice.

"He just lives there?" She was skeptical that the demonic dragon would just take up residence somewhere near a town.

"He does," Igneel answered, "that's the last place I know of that he lived. Him and his friend have a house in the forest outside of Magnolia. They've been there for years, so I'm sure he's still there."

The large dragon stole a glance at his son, giving him a knowing look. Natsu returned the look, hoping it conveyed how sorry he was for putting him through this. It wasn't lying, _technically_. END did in fact have a residence near Magnolia, and he did share the house with his friend, Happy.

Natsu didn't exactly know what he was going to do when they reached Magnolia, but he hoped if they got close then he could at least slowly convince her that the demonic side of him wasn't a bad guy... Which would be hard considering he still had to keep his secret in the process.

"How far away is that?" Lucy finally asked, pulling out her map.

Natsu got behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder while the other snaked around her waist to point at the map, "right there."

Lucy gulped from the suddenly close proximity between the dragon slayer and herself. She forced herself not to think about the fact that she almost kissed him days ago. "And we're here?"

"Not quite," Natsu gently grabbed her hand, ignoring the jolts flying through his nerves at their connected hands. He scooted her finger a little to the right, "here."

"That looks like it will take at least a week," Lucy complained.

The dragon slayer let out a snort, "probably two weeks with how slow you walk."

"Hey!" She turned her face to show him a fearsome glare, but her expression changed once her nose brushed against his. Her brown eyes grew large as she suddenly forgot how to breathe.

Natsu didn't mind the closeness, and even held the pose a little longer than needed. He smiled, and from this angle Lucy could see the small lines on his face change with the movement. "I'm just joking with ya Luce." Judging from the way his mouth moved, she could tell he was speaking, but she barely heard a word of it as she finally broke through her trance.

She huffed, turning away quickly, "whatever."

The ground began to shake from Igneel's laughter, "should I give you two some privacy?" He had witnessed the whole thing, and found it amusing to see how his son and his _friend_ interacted.

"Eh?" The blonde gasped before shaking her head and hands, "it's not like that!"

Igneel just laughed more when his son shrugged, looking indifferent. Of course Lucy didn't see the movement Natsu made. He really wouldn't mind being that close to her again, not that he'd admit it to her.

"So," the pink haired man finally said after the dragon finished his chuckles, "when do you want to leave?"

"In the morning?" Lucy asked, hoping he'd agree.

Truthfully Natsu would have started now if she wanted to, but he was happy she was allowing them some more time with Igneel before taking off. "Sounds great to me!"

* * *

The trip that was supposed to take one week was now taking two. The duo were halfway to Magnolia when they had to stop in a nearby town.

Lucy had the unfortunate luck of getting her dress caught on a jagged rock, and instead of carefully peeling the material away from the stone, she decided she was in too much of a hurry and yanked the thing loose.

The result was that she now owned a torn dress that gave anyone looking, a clear view of her bottom.

Natsu was nice enough to let her use that odd material he always wore around his waist, and it covered her indecency well. However she couldn't use it forever, and decided to spend the last of her jewels on a proper outfit.

It seemed like luck just wasn't on her side lately, because there were no stores in the new town that sold modest clothing. She ended up with a sleeveless, white shirt that zipped open in the front. The shirt had a blue trim around the collar, hem, sleeves, and an odd cross on the center.

She opted to buy the matching skirt, but hated that it was so short. Truthfully she didn't mind the length, but she knew if anyone at the church saw her like that, they'd surely call her a harlot.

Her brown boots and belt seemed to go well with the outfit, and she bought a matching blue bow for the hell of it. She was tired of leaving her long hair in a bun all the time, so she decided it was time for a temporary change.

Now the blonde maiden could be seen wearing her hair in a side pony tail, with two locks of hair framing her face. She was nervous at first for the new look, doubting that she was even presentable.

However, the - _not so subtle_ \- glances she started receiving from random people let her think maybe she was wrong.

It was Natsu's opinion that got to her the most. She didn't think he even knew he was saying it, because he looked like he was in a trance. The only word to leave his mouth when he saw her for the first time like that was, "beautiful..."

Lucy swore her face would light on fire from the way he stared at her. She ended up going into self-preservation mode, and called him a _pervert_ , and told him to find something else to stare at.

The dragon slayer didn't look effected by her insult in the slightest, knowing very well that he could actually be a pervert if he allowed himself the privilege.

Natsu considered himself lucky that he was able to control himself around her after seeing her in the enticing outfit. That shirt hugged every delicious curve of her body, from her waist to her generous bust.

That skirt was not to be taken lightly either. It was pleated, and swayed with every subtle move she made. He knew one strong gust of wind was all it would take to make the blue material fly, giving him a glance at what she had hidden underneath.

Finally letting her hair down was another thing that made his heart race. Not only did it make her look more feminine, but it also brought on wild fantasies of hair pulling that made his throat close up.

He was glad the word to slip from his mouth was _beautiful_ , because what he was really thinking was _drop dead sexy_. She was pretty to start with, with many admirable qualities, but now she looked just as gorgeous on the outside as she was on the inside.

Of course Natsu didn't _want_ her to know just how deeply she effected him, so he decided to shrug off what she said and just call her a weirdo.

It seemed to do the trick, because she stopped focusing on his compliment and started letting out exasperated sighs while shaking her head. Then she made a comment about how exhausting it was being his travel companion.

Things got bad when Lucy realized she was completely out of jewels, even though she desperately wanted to sleep in a bed since they were finally at a town with hotels. When she voiced her complaint to Natsu, the pink haired man immediately took action.

His hand circled around her wrist to tug her towards the other side of the city, which only caused the blonde anxiety when they reached their destination.

"We're not going in there...right?" Lucy looked up at the massive building in front of them. It looked almost like a castle, with a giant animal statue resting at the top.

Multiple flags adorned the building's entrance, but the symbol confused her. The blue-purple flag was outlined with a gold trim. Centered on the flag was a white diamond, where a black _snake_ rested.

 _'Is that a snake? Or maybe some type of creature?'_

"Of course we're going in!" Natsu tried to drag her closer, but she wouldn't budge. "Come on Luce, we have to go inside."

"I don't want to," she didn't know where on Earthland he was taking her, and she didn't plan on finding out. "And what is that anyways?" Lucy asked as she pointed to the top of the building.

"You're such a weirdo," the pink haired man laughed, "have you never seen a Sabertooth before?"

"Can't say that I have... Why are we- _ooph_ ," Lucy was suddenly picked up and scooped into Natsu's arms. "Let me down!" She tried kicking him, but that only caused him to laugh more.

"Just trust me, it'll be fine," despite his laughter, his voice was strong. He didn't want Lucy to be scared, because he'd protect her no matter what.

"I'm so going to regret this," the blonde mumbled to herself.

Natsu just shook his head as he approached the castle-like structure. "Just stick with me and you'll be safe."

The maiden's cheeks tinted red, so she hid her face against his chest, not wanting anyone to see her flushed expression.

She kept her eyes closed as she heard Natsu kick open a door, then heard the sounds of people gasping.

The dragon slayer walked a bit more, and judging by the echos of his steps, she guessed they were too far in for her to run away now.

Before Lucy could do or say anything, Natsu gently dropped her to her feet. The maiden took a minute to straighten her outfit before looking around.

The inside of the building looked just as large as the outside. Lucy noted the massive open space where various people were scattered around. Most of whom were now staring at Natsu and herself with questioning gazes.

The celestial wizard chalked it up to them being surprised by outsiders visiting, since everyone she could see were all wearing that strange symbol she saw on the flag outside somewhere on their body.

She glanced around, taking in the sight of the large room. Against the wall rested a single chair that looked more fit to be called a throne. Two large sabertooths faced inward towards the throne.

The blonde female could only stare in awe at the man sitting on the furniture.

"Natsu, why the hell are you here?" The man spoke as he stood up. Lucy noticed his spiky hair was a lighter shade of blonde than her own, and his lean body was adorned in an odd outfit.

The slightly tan man wore a green shirt that cut off right above his abs, a blue vest with gray fur trim was thrown over his torso. Suspenders held up the outer black layer of his pants, with regular white pants underneath. His bottoms were tucked into black boots, and long, dark blue gloves covered both his arms. The white Sabertooth symbol decorated his left shoulder. A silver earring dangled from his left ear.

Lucy had never seen someone dressed so bizarre, and she had to force herself to keep her mouth shut. She really didn't want to offend the man who looked like their leader. Choosing to focus on Natsu instead, she saw the fire burning in his green eyes as he glared at the blond male.

Lucy saw the flickers of red in his right eye, and thought maybe she should just ask him what the deal was with his odd trait. The thought vanished from her mind when Natsu suddenly yelled, "Get the hell off that platform and say that to my face!"

The dragon slayer took a few steps closer to the throne area, his fists catching on fire and his eyes flashing with a deviant glint.

The blond male started approaching Natsu, his own hands glowing with a bright, white light. He looked intimidating when he hollered back, "well after the last time I saw ya I figured you'd never show your face around here again. I'm surprised to see you."

Natsu growled, causing the blond man to scowl in response, "though I see your manners haven't improved."

"Shut up!" The pink haired man grunted, "come here and fight me!"

Lucy's eyes widened. _'They're going to fight? How the heck is this supposed to get us money?'_

"With pleasure!" The blonde male charged towards Natsu with his light growing brighter. The two males were inches away from delivering their attacks with a feminine voice shouted out, "stop it you two!"

Both men froze in their positions, before loosening up. The blond man was the first to look over at the voice, and Lucy's eyes followed. Her brown eyes landed on a white haired female. She was around the same height as Lucy, but she was dressed much differently.

This woman wore a white and blue dress, with a large, puffy white coat around her shoulders. Lucy couldn't help but associate the word angelic with this beautiful woman. Her short hair stopped at her jaw line, and a single blue rose was pinned in the snowy colored locks.

"Damn it Yukino, do you gotta ruin all the fun?" The blond male groaned as he finally dropped his fist, the light dying around his hand.

The woman known as Yukino shook her head, "I'm not ruining anything. I'm just preventing damage. You know what happened last time you and Natsu got in a fight here, and I don't want to have to go through the trouble of having us rebuild part of our guild again."

Now it was Natsu who groaned as his fire was extinguished, "you still remember that?"

"It was only last year!" The white haired woman shouted, and Lucy finally saw the deep, brown eyes she possessed.

"Has it been a year already, Sting?" The pink haired man looked at the man he was ready to fight minutes ago.

"I guess so," the blonde man known as Sting replied, his tone had lightened up considerably. Now that he was up close and not yelling, Lucy could see a large scar crossing over his right eyebrow. She wondered what the story behind the scar was, but decided against asking such a rude question to someone she hadn't even been introduced to yet.

"Man," Natsu said, moving to Sting's side and slinging an arm around the guys shoulders. The action confused Lucy, who previously assumed they were on unfriendly terms. "That sure was fun though, even if it did destroy a bunch of stuff."

"You said it," the blond man said before bringing Natsu into a half-hug.

Lucy was completely lost.

"Oh," Yukino said, finally noticing the quite blonde standing near the two men. "Who's this?"

Natsu untangled himself from Sting, only to sling his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his warm body. "This is Lucy,"

"I see, and who is she to you?" The white haired woman's smile showed amusement.

Lucy figured he'd just say _a friend_ or maybe even _a weirdo_ , but he surprised her when his face flushed a deep shade of red. "She's just Luce," the pink haired man's arm was now tense around her.

The blonde celestial wizard was thrown off by that. Lately Natsu had been acting strange, but she just brushed it off to him being a strange person. The way he was acting told another story, but she wasn't quite sure what it meant. He was almost acting like she did when she felt embarrassed for her feelings about him.

 _'Could it be Natsu likes me too?'_ Lucy thought to herself, remembering their almost kiss, the subtle compliments he gave about her appearance, and the protectiveness he showed towards her. It seemed possible that he may harbor some feelings for her, but she wasn't about to get her hopes up.

Besides, it didn't matter anyways.

Once she killed END, she'd be heading back to the church, and Natsu would become a distant memory. Fond... but _distant_.

She already felt a coldness growing in her heart from the thought of separating from Natsu, but it couldn't be helped. This was the life she choose, and she couldn't afford to be selfish.

The blonde sighed before shrugging off Natsu's arm, "Natsu's just helping me with a mission."

Lucy didn't miss the flicker of red in his eyes, making her think maybe it wasn't just a random occurrence, because it was accompanied by the slight pout in his lips. She didn't get to examine him for much longer before he forced a smile on his face.

"Yup, but we ran out of money," Natsu blatantly avoided Lucy's eyes as he spoke to Sting and Yukino. "We were wondering if you had any jobs you could spare?"

"I don't know," Sting said in a sing-song voice, "I guess you could take this one that's been on our board for three weeks now."

"We'll take anything," Lucy assured, knowing she'd do anything to just sleep in a bed soon.

"Well alright, Yukino, could you get them that request about the trees?" Sting asked as he spoke to the angelic looking woman.

"No problem," Yukino replied as she went off to the side of the large room.

"So, what's this mission you're on?" The blond male asked Lucy, clearly intrigued by the young woman.

Lucy looked up to Natsu, but the dragon slayer was still ignoring her gaze. She sighed before looking back to Sting, "I'm looking for a dragon."

"You are?" The man's eyes lit up. "Which one?"

That's when Lucy noticed Natsu's attention spike. The pink haired man quickly looked over to Lucy with a surprised look.

"His name is-"

"You know what," Natsu said, cutting her off. "Let's talk about it after the job? That way we don't waste time with idle chitchat."

Lucy glared at Natsu with a hint of annoyance, while Sting just raised a brow at the suddenly spooked dragon slayer. "Alright..." Sting looked over to see Yukino heading back from their mission board. "Hey Natsu, there was something I wanted to talk to you about. Could you come with me?"

The pink haired man looked over to Lucy, but only saw the scowl on her face from being interrupted. "Aye Sir!"

He quickly followed Sting back over to the throne knowing no one would be able to hear them. _Well,_ maybe no one... Rogue was in the room, but he looked preoccupied with talking to his exceed.

"So what's the deal?" Sting asked, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"What do you mean?" Natsu decided to play dumb, but knew it would only by him another few seconds at best.

"You know what I mean. Who's this dragon she's looking for?" The blond male crossed his arms over his chest. "It has to be something bad for _you_ to be spooked."

"Look," Natsu said as he stole a glance at Lucy. The blonde maiden was now talking with Yukino as the two looked over a sheet of paper. "She's trying to find END."

"But that's-"

"I know," the pink haired man snapped. "But I can't let _her_ know."

"Why would it matter? You could just tell her the truth and her mission would be over," Sting couldn't understand why Natsu was keeping his identity a secret from the blonde female. He didn't know much about her, but she seemed like a nice enough person.

"Because," Natsu sighed before revealing, "she wants to kill him."

"What?!" Sting shouted, drawing some unnecessary attention to the pair. He dropped his voice to barely a whisper, knowing Natsu would hear him loud and clear, "why does she want to kill you?"

"She thinks I killed her parents," Natsu whispered back. He saw the surprised look in Sting's eye, and cut him off before he could even ask the ridiculous question, "no I didn't kill them. You know I've never killed anyone in my life, but she seems to think I did."

"How does she not know you're END?" The blond male looked perplexed.

"I guess she doesn't know END has a human form. She has barely any details about me, yet she wants to kill me. I'm trying to stick around to find out more, but she's so private about her life that I can't get any information outta her," Natsu was beyond frustrated, and the light blush coating his cheeks wasn't helping.

The blond man took notice immediately, "are you sure you're not sticking around for other reasons?"

The fire dragon slayer huffed, "I don't know what you're talkin' about."

"Sure you don't," Sting laughed, but then cut it short when he heard footsteps approaching. "We'll talk about this later?"

"Yeah yeah," Natsu groused. He didn't know how he ended up in such a mess. The girl he fell in love with is trying to kill a side of him for a crime he didn't even commit. It wasn't fair how cruel fate was sometimes.

"Hey Luce," the pink haired man said before glancing over at the blonde, "you ready to go?"

"We'll leave you two alone," Sting said, ushering Yukino away. Natsu had no doubts that he was about to tell the white haired woman about this secret, but the pyro knew they could be trusted with this knowledge. Maybe they could even offer a way to help.

Natsu was tempted to just tell her the truth, but Lucy had made it clear she was going to kill END, no matter what. He couldn't take that chance, not yet anyways.

"So... Yukino seems nice," Lucy commented to catch Natsu's wandering attention.

The fire dragon slayer's gaze snapped to the blonde. "Yeah, she's a good friend too." Then Natsu's green eyes gleamed, "I almost forgot, you two should definitely talk when we get back from our mission!"

"Why's that?" The maiden had no problems with the white haired woman, but she saw no point in delaying her mission any further with - _as Natsu called it_ \- idle chitchat.

"Because," the pyro said with barely contained excitement, "she's a celestial wizard too!"

"She is?" Lucy's eyes grew wide. The only other celestial wizard she knew of was her mother, so finding another one was quite a shock for the young woman.

"Yup," he nodded, then his smile widened, "just like Sting over there is a dragon slayer like me!"

"What?" Lucy looked back to catch a glance of Sting and Yukino. Her face flushed when she noticed the blond man placing a kiss on the girl's lips.

The maiden's head snapped back towards Natsu's to avoid any further viewing of their intimacy.

 _'Huh... A dragon slayer and a celestial wizard... I never thought those types of people could ever be romantic with each other.'_

Lucy's thoughts didn't last long as Natsu's loud voice interrupted them, "...but fire is _sooo_ much cooler than light. I mean, I think so anyways. What do you think Luce?"

"Uhh..." The blonde had not been paying attention to his little rant, and felt uncomfortable commenting when she didn't know the situation. Plus she was astonished that her brain was still mulling over the combination of those two wizards and their affections.

She couldn't help but think about the possibilities of herself with Na-

"I think we should focus on this job so I can sleep in an actual bed tonight," she didn't mean to sound so harsh, but that's what happens when she tries to hide her embarrassment.

"So what's the job they have us doing?" Natsu did well to hide the slight sting her tone caused him. He didn't know what he did to upset her, but he assumed she had her reasons.

Lucy looked at the paper while explaining, "Yukino said it's pretty easy. The client needs someone to cut down and dispose of thirty trees behind their house so they can expand their farm."

"That does sound easy," Natsu said, surprised, "why hasn't anyone taken it yet?"

"Apparently the man who's requesting this job is horrible to work with," the maiden replied, folding the paper into fourths, "and the pay is low."

"Low? How much?" The dragon slayer looked over to Sabertooth's mission board. It wasn't nearly as full as Fairy Tail's usually was, so he supposed they were lucky to get any work at all from Sting's guild.

"40,000 jewel."

The pink haired man thought to himself before asking, "is that even enough for a hotel room?"

"Yes, Yukino said there's a hotel at the edge of the city that charges 20,000 jewels a night," Lucy smiled at herself, thinking about the chance to take a proper bath, "which means I can finally sleep in a bed _and_ we'll still have plenty of money left over for food and essentials."

"Alright then, let's get this job finished already," the mention of food was all the dragon slayer needed for motivation. He grabbed Lucy's wrist and tugged her towards the exit.

* * *

 **So, while writing for this day, the chapter just kept getting longer and longer. I made myself a 4,000 word limit, but I ended up going over 9,000. As a result, admiration will be in two chapters, part one and part two. I will post part two later today. Sorry for any inconvenience. I hope everyone is enjoying NALU week!**

 **NALU=LIFE**

 **Thank you for all the favs/follows! And thank you to those who reviewed: FlameDragonHime, Alaya Karangalan, AnimeArmorFreak,** **Kauia, C** **rimsonlink310, & Lexus.**


	5. Admiration (Part Two)

**Day Three: Admiration (Part Two)**

"Well that was _interesting_..." Lucy said to herself as the duo walked back to the Sabertooth guild.

"I'll say... At least we finished the job," Natsu walked beside her, matching her slow pace.

"Yeah, I just wished that guy didn't slap my butt," the pure maiden shuttered when she remembered the feeling of that man's hand on her bottom. It felt uncomfortable, and she responded with a swift kick to his shin.

A low growl emitted from Natsu's throat, "me too," the dragon slayer's patience had been tested today. If Lucy hadn't defended herself, he would've... And he would have been _much_ harder on the fool who touched her.

Natsu thought back through his memories, recalling their recent activities.

The job itself wasn't difficult, since Lucy used that bull spirit of hers to chop down the trees with his axe, then he disposed the trees with his fire. In all it took around an hour to finish, which was faster than the old man thought it'd take.

Unfortunately the client's way of saying _thanks_ was a slap to Lucy's ass and a pat on the seething dragon slayer's back. That, and 40,000 jewel.

Natsu was rather proud of himself for not flipping out on the guy, but of course it took all his willpower not to smack the shit out of him. The dragon slayer was also glad that he had remained in control of himself, considering a darker side of him screamed _'Mine!'_ in his brain the entire time he was there.

The pink haired man knew Lucy wasn't his, but still that pesky voice seemed very possessive of the young blonde. Natsu would have to keep that in check.

The dragon side of him told him to claim her as his own, while the demonic side just wanted to possess her. The human side of him was still winning this battle, because that's how he spent most of his time, as a human.

"Is it alright if we get some food on our way to Sabertooth?" Lucy asked, a hand clutching her stomach from the pains of hunger.

"Definitely," the dragon slayer was more than happy to stop for a bite.

 _'I'd love to take a bite of her-'_ Natsu shook his head, hoping the dizziness would drown the demonic voice inside. Usually he was able to ignore the subtle urges, but with Lucy, it was more difficult.

The maiden and man went into the town, browsing around the market until they both agreed on a food stand. Lucy paid the 5,000 jewel for their food, and the two found a bench to eat at.

Of course the hungry dragon slayer downed his food within the first few minutes, so he was left waiting for Lucy to finish her meal. The pink haired man wanted to get back to the guild to talk to Sting about his situation, and see if he came up with a solution, but Lucy was eating like a bird, just picking at it a little at a time.

"I'm gonna go take a leak," Natsu said, making the blonde blush. The dragon slayer only laughed at her reaction as he headed to the edge of the forest where he could have some privacy.

"That guy," Lucy mumbled as she took another bite of her food. Despite how grossed out she was by his bluntness, she was having a good time with him today. She met some of his friends, they completed a job, got paid, and somewhat had lunch together.

 _'Now if only this could be my regular life...'_

Brown eyes snapped open as lips parted in shock. "What is wrong with me?" Lucy asked herself, disbelief dripping in her voice. She couldn't believe how comfortable and relaxed she had gotten just in the time she'd been away from the church.

She had responsibilities, _duties_. The maiden couldn't allow herself to get caught up in these wild fantasies she was having lately.

"I need to end this mission soon," she mumbled, ashamed that she let herself get carried away.

There was no future for her outside of the church. She took a sacred vow to live by the church's rules, and that was final. After she finished this mission, she'd have to give all this up, and letting herself believe otherwise was not only foolish, but reckless as well.

"Well hello there," a strange voice came from her side.

The blonde looked to the left to see an unfamiliar man smiling at her. "H-hello?" Lucy took in his appearance quickly. He had shaggy brown hair, hazel eyes, and skin that was slightly darker than Natsu's.

"How are you doing today?" The stranger asked, taking a seat where Natsu was previously sitting.

"I-I'm fine..." Lucy looked around to see if she could spot the pink haired dragon slayer. She was without luck, so she returned her gaze back to the man, "is there something you want?"

"Just some company. I was on my way home when I saw you sitting here. A woman like you shouldn't be alone in this city," the brown haired man commented.

"A woman like me?"Lucy narrowed her eyes. The maiden didn't now if she should take offense to that. The man didn't seem to wish her any ill will, but she kept her guard up just in case.

"I didn't mean it like that," the man shook his head, "it's just we've had some trouble with a group of men lately, and they seem to favor singled out women."

"Is that so?" Lucy asked, seeing nothing but kindness in the man's eyes. Still, she was wary, and wished the dragon slayer would come back already.

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure you were aware. Oh, my name's Jack. What's your name?"

"Umm," the blonde felt uncomfortable giving her name to a stranger. She shook her head as she stood up, "my friend is somewhere around here. I need to get going."

"Wait," the male said as he caught her wrist, "are you going to be okay alone?"

"Let go of me, or I'll you'll regret it," Lucy had already dealt with one man's unwanted hand on her today, she didn't want to add a second.

The man immediately let go, noticing the anger that flashed in her brown eyes. "I'm sorry miss, I really didn't mean to bother you."

"It's fine," Lucy said as she rubbed her released wrist, "it's just-"

"Who's this guy?" A loud, very familiar voice came from behind the maiden.

She turned around, not even noticing the smile that surfaced on her face at his presence. "Natsu!"

"Is this your friend?" Jack asked, sizing up the pink haired man.

"Yeah," Natsu answered for her, "who wants to know?" He took a step closer to the man, a disgruntled frown forming on his face. The dragon slayer's mind jumped to the conclusion that this man was interested in Lucy, and that left him unsettled and angry.

"Look buddy, I didn't mean any harm," the brown haired man lifted his palms to show his surrender, "I was just trying to warn your lady friend about some bad guys."

"She can take care of herself," the dragon slayer said, surprising Lucy.

 _'He believes in me?'_

"And even if she can't, _I_ won't let anything happen to her," Natsu added before throwing an arm around her shoulders and turning around.

He whispered so only she could hear, "come on Luce."

The blonde didn't bother looking back at the stranger, deciding that if all he really wanted was to warn her, then there was nothing else to talk about. She liked that Natsu showed up when he did, but she did wonder what would have happened if she was left alone. She knew she could take care of herself... _'And apparently Natsu does too...'_

Lucy's face was bright red, either from the embarrassment from being so close to Natsu, or the body heat he was putting out. His grip around her shoulder tightened, letting her know he had no intentions of ending the contact.

They had to pass by a short forest in order to make it back to Sabertooth, and they made it about halfway before Natsu abruptly stopped.

Lucy's body jolted forward a bit, not prepared for the sudden halt. "What's going on?"

Natsu released the hold on her, taking a few steps forward before turning around. The logical side of his mind told him Lucy was safe, and that man really wasn't trying to harm her. However, the illogical side of him told Natsu to protect Lucy from any male's attention.

The dragon slayer worried he'd lose her one day to the advances of another man, before he was able to win her heart.

Lucy meant so much to him, and he wished she could just see it without him having to confess his feelings. It made matters worse that she was unknowingly trying to kill him, which put a damper on any real happy moments he shared with her.

He wished things could be easier between them. He wished they'd met under different circumstances, and didn't have this absurd obstacle between them. But wishes were just that, _wishes_...

The dragon slayer stared at Lucy, admiring the young woman before him. She was so brave, kind, and loyal. He wished she wasn't so secretive about her past, but she made up for it with her kindhearted nature. She was a beautiful person, inside and out.

 _'What the hell...'_ Natsu's admiration for the blonde maiden was the final thing that drove him over the edge.

"Lucy," his hand wrapped around her wrist, pulling her closer until she was pressed against his body. His warmth surrounded her, and if her heart wasn't beating wildly, his heat would have relaxed her.

The young woman gasped as one hand was placed on her lower back, while the other cupped the nape of her neck. Blonde tresses weaved through his fingers as he let her settle into their new position.

"Natsu, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry Lucy, I know it's selfish of me to say it, but I'm tired of hiding it from you," the fire dragon slayer's green eyes held so much conviction for what he was about to say.

The gaze Natsu gave her caused her body to shiver, it was so intense and absolute. He looked at her like nothing else in the world mattered, and that frightened the blonde.

"Lucy," Natsu breathed, taking in her sweet scent to calm his racing heart, "I love you."

The blonde's mouth went slack, "wh-what?"

His pulse picked up as he summoned the courage to say it again, "I said I lo-"

"I heard what you said," Lucy snapped, her hands pushing his chest to escape his embrace. The warmth disappeared as soon as she was out of his strong arms.

"What's wrong?" Natsu asked, his heart twinged from her rejection. He knew this was a possibility, but he was hoping it wouldn't come to this. He had been so sure she had feelings for him too.

"You!" Lucy shouted, not realizing how loud her voice became, or how badly that hurt his feelings. "You can't love me!"

The dragon slayer shook his head in confusion. If she'd said she just wanted to be friends or she didn't feel the same way back he could understand, but saying he _can't_ love her... Well that made no sense. He finally asked, "why can't I?"

"Because," Lucy said, her voice threatening to crack, "it's not allowed!"

Natsu almost scoffed, "says who?"

"The church!" The maiden shouted, her face red and her feet bringing her a few steps away from him.

"What church?" Natsu narrowed his eyes as he took one step towards her. He'd happily go talk to her church to set things straight it that's what it took for Lucy to accept his confession. However, bad things just kept happening to him, because what she said next struck him hard.

"Zentopia! It's the church that raised me!"

Natsu opened his mouth to yell back, but he lost the ability to talk for a moment as that name echoed in his head. _'Zentopia...'_

"Oh fuck," the dragon slayer groaned as he dragged his palm down his face. _'Of course that's where she's from!'_

Natsu wanted to laugh at the cruel irony of it all. Here he was confessing his feelings, but the woman on the receiving end belonged to a fucking cult that was out to eradicate any and all demons, including _him_.

It didn't matter to them if the demons were innocent, they just wanted them dead.

Suddenly it everything made so much sense. Zentopia must have lied to her, and told her END killed her parents. The frustrating part was he couldn't even fault her for her beliefs, knowing how skilled they were at brainwashing people.

The pink haired man had a few run ins with them in the past, and it always turned out messy. The first time was when he was fifteen years old, and it was by far the worst experience of his life.

He cringed as the memory of being chained down while _that man_ sawed at his right horn came back to him. Memories he'd buried in the darkest nooks and crannies of his mind started surfacing. The screams, the pain, the blood.

There was so much _blood_.

Natsu shook his head violently, trying to rid himself of the horrible thoughts. It was ten years ago, but he could still feel the pain every time he transformed into his END form. It was the main reason he only used it in emergencies.

The dragon slayer stared hard at Lucy, wondering what thoughts could possibly be swarming around in her mind. There was only one thing he wanted to know now, and he figured there was only one way to find out the answer to the question burning in his brain.

"So then... You _don't_ have feelings for me?" Had he misread the signs? Natsu thought for sure Lucy felt at least _something_ for him, but this was just a slap in the face. He honestly felt like a kick to the groin would be less painful than the emotional turmoil that was currently brewing in his heart.

After a few, painfully silent minutes, Lucy reluctantly admitted, "I didn't say that."

 _Hope_

It was barely a sliver, but it was enough to make the dragon slayer ask, "what do you feel for me?"

It would be easy to confess her love for the dragon slayer. She'd thought about it for weeks now, but it wasn't allowed. _She_ wasn't allowed to have feelings like this.

The life of a holy maiden was to worship her gods, complete any mission the church gave, and be a humble person. No where in there was she allowed to marry a man, bear his children, and live a happy life. It was selfish for her to even consider it. She had chosen her path, and it was too late to change it.

Besides, she owed the church for taking her in after her parents were killed.

"I'm sorry Natsu, but it doesn't matter how I feel about you," Lucy could feel the tears forming in her eyes, but she knew she didn't deserve to let them spill. She was the one hurting Natsu, because she allowed them to get this close. It wasn't the church's fault for his pain, it was hers and hers alone.

"Please?" The pink haired man hated the desperation that tainted his voice, but he had to know. "Just tell me, I promise I'll leave it alone after that... I just need to know," he pleaded, hoping to get her to tell him the truth.

Dragons were greedy by nature, but he wouldn't allow himself to be greedy with her. He knew all about the church's absurd rules about maidens and monks, how they were to sacrifice their entire life's for the sake of their gods.

Natsu never really cared about it until now. He figured if they really wanted to do it, then who was he to stop them? It wasn't until his own emotions became tangled with their rules that he decided to give a damn.

He had to know, and he hoped with all his heart she would just tell him.

"I'm sorry," the words left Lucy's mouth, and she swore she could see the heartbreak in his eyes. "I can only be your friend Natsu. You're going to have to be okay with that, because if you're not, I have to leave you."

 _'No,_ ' the dragon slayer thought. _This_ choice again. To leave, confront, or just stay.

The last time he was faced with it, it had been because his life was on the line. He chose to stay with the blonde, and keep his secret about being END from her.

Now his heart was on the line, and it felt much more personal. Now Lucy knew about his feelings, and he'd have to deal without knowing if she returned mutual feelings for him or not. It almost seemed easier for her to just tell him she didn't have any at all.

 _'But she didn't deny having feelings, just that it's not allowed... Maybe...'_

Maybe there was hope for the dragon slayer.

"I want to stay with you, at least until you finish your mission," Natsu said, seeing the way his words made her relax.

"Thank you," Lucy said, hating the way she felt right now. She wanted to tell him that she loved him too, but it would only make the pain worse when they had to part ways. Natsu would be with her when she found END, and after they killed him, she'd have to leave.

That was how her life was supposed to go, and it was her own fault for thinking she could have more.

"If it's alright with you, I think I'm going to just go to the hotel," Lucy said, pulling out the folded up job request. "Will you tell your friends we finished the job, and meet me there when you're done?"

"Or," Natsu took the paper from her hands, knowing she just wanted to be alone right now. "I could just crash at their guild. I'm sure Sting wouldn't mind."

"That's not necessary," Lucy assured, feeling her cheeks heat up, "I actually like having you by me when I sleep."

The blonde averted his gaze as she stumbled through her words, "y-you make m-me feel, safe..."

"I do?" Natsu asked, feeling his heart accelerate. A silent minute passed before he realized she wasn't going to respond, he nodded, "okay then. I guess I'll figure out which room you're in when I get there."

"Yukino said it's called _'wildcat inn'_ ," Lucy was already turning around to walk away. "I'll let the people at the front desk know you're coming."

"Thanks," Natsu was about to turn before something stuck out in his mind. "Hey, just in case what that guy said was true, keep your spirits handy while I'm gone..."

"No problem," Lucy said, not bothering to look back at him.

* * *

It was late at night when Natsu went to the hotel. He cut through the forest, staggered around the town, and eventually found the place despite the darkness around him and the dizziness he felt.

He knew he shouldn't have spent so much time at the Sabertooth guild, but he didn't want to pass up the opportunity to talk to Sting about his situation with Lucy. Rogue and Yukino were filled in, and tried their best to give him some advice.

Unfortunately for Natsu, their advice was to leave her.

The dragon slayer couldn't do that. He loved her, and he knew she felt something for him too, even if she wouldn't allow herself to say anything. He couldn't just leave her, he wouldn't.

Natsu's stubbornness caused him to refuse their advice, and his desire to dull his pained heart had him drinking a little too much. It was a miracle he even found the hotel considering his eyes were glossy.

Regardless, he talked to the front desk, and they directed him to the room occupied by _Miss Lucy_. It was only then that he realized he still didn't know her last name. He had been upfront about his last name, so he thought it was only fair she do the same.

His drunken state might have caused him to be more upset about this little fact than it normally would've effected him. So by the time he opened up the hotel room, he was ready to call her out on all the stuff she'd been hiding from him.

However, once his gaze settled on the blonde, all thoughts vanished from his mind. He didn't even hear when the door closed behind him, because he was so entranced by her beauty.

Lucy was already fast asleep in the bed. Her golden hair shined from the moonlight, and the soft smile on her lips made his heart leap.

 _'Wow...'_ It was all he could think as he admired her beauty.

After several minutes of just staring at her, he realized he should move since what he was doing right now could be considered creepy. The dragon slayer walked over towards the couch to pass out, but a single piece of paper on the night stand caught his attention.

Carefully, he swaggered over to the empty side of the bed where a note for him rested.

 _ **Natsu, I don't know if you're coming tonight, so I'm going to sleep. If you do plan on staying here, you can sleep in the bed ONLY if you keep the pillow barrier intact. Sleep well, Lucy.**_

It was only then that the dragon slayer saw a line-shaped bulge under the blankets. He lifted the covers up to see three pillows in a row to avoid any accidental touching. "Hmmm..." Natsu hummed to himself as he thought.

It was a little difficult to think when alcohol was still swimming in his blood stream. He knew the right thing would be to just sleep on the couch and leave her alone, but the fact that she gave him permission to sleep in the same bed as her was enough to sway his decision.

He took off some of his clothes, until he was clad in only his white shorts. He bundled up his clothes, and placed them on the couch. He was better when it came to his beloved scarf, folding it up and setting it on the nightstand.

Natsu lifted the blanket and slipped underneath, letting his naturally high body temperature warm up the bed. He wanted to face away from Lucy, but a powerful urge that he couldn't refuse pulled him towards her.

He wanted to wrap her in his arms as he drifted off, but he didn't want to bother her. Plus he didn't want to be on the receiving end of that whip of hers if she gets upset.

He was laying against the pillow barrier. It wasn't as close as he wanted to be to her, but it was close enough that he could breathe in her sweet scent. Judging by the lack of dirt that usually accompanied her smell, he guessed she took a bath.

Natsu let his heavy eyelids close, falling asleep in a matter of seconds. It was always easy to fall asleep with Lucy nearby.

* * *

Deep breathing was the first thing Lucy heard when her body slowly started walking up.

Heat was the second thing her mind registered when she was halfway awake.

And finally, the weight on her body was what she felt when she opened her eyes.

Lucy stared at the ceiling as she tried - _without much luck_ \- to shift her body. She glanced down, only to see pink.

Her eyes widened immediately when she realized what was happening. Some time during the night, Natsu must have come to the hotel, got into the bed, and crossed the pillow barrier she set up!

 _Oh_ , she was going to make him pay!

The maiden wiggled more, earning a disgruntled groan from the dragon slayer, before he lifted from her body, just to flop on his back and continue sleeping. She doubted he even woke up to begin with.

Now free from his hold, she raised the covers to look for her barrier. Her lips parted when she found no signs of them ever being there.

"Where'd they go?" She softly whispered as she sat up to inspect the bed.

The blonde started on his side. After the lack of pillows, she looked at the end of the bed. Still none.

Finally she looked at her side and gasped. All three pillows were laying on the floor next to her nightstand. _'Did_ I _remove them?'_ She didn't recall doing such a thing, but the evidence was hard to refute.

 _'Well... at least he didn't try anything...'_ Lucy was still completely dressed in her nightgown, so her chastity was still intact.

She was ready to get started with her day, and maybe she could have, if not for the quick glance she threw his way.

Lucy cocked her head as she leaned in closer to him. She didn't even notice when her lips curved upwards, a soft smile forming. _'He's kinda cute when he's asleep...'_

The maiden laid back down, resting on her side so she could admire Natsu's good looks. It was no secret that he was attractive, and she'd be lying if she said his features didn't affect her.

Even now, she found herself captivated by the simple things, like the curve of his nose, the strong jaw line he had, or the way his pink locks fell against his forehead when they weren't spiked up.

His tan skin looked so soft, despite how rough of a man he was. She wondered... What would it be like to touch him?

Without much thinking, the blonde propped herself up on an elbow, bringing her free hand to his face. She was careful not to put too much pressure on his skin, fearing she might wake him up.

Her fingers delicately brushed against his cheek, feeling the smooth flesh. _'He's soft!'_

That led to more questions about Natsu's body.

Her fingers slide along the side of his face until they reached his hair. Her digits threaded into his pink locks, amazed at how fluffy they felt through her fingers. _'Wow...'_

She never would have imagined a destructive man like Natsu could be so gentle in his own way. Her fingers trailed back down to his cheek, before she boldly rubbed the tips against his slightly parted lips.

That part of him was not as soft as she imagined. His lips were slightly chapped, and they had a certain roughness about them that was the complete opposite of her own. Despite all that, it only made her more interested in what they'd feel like pressed against her own.

She was so entranced, that she didn't even notice when she minimized the gap between them, or when her body partially hovered over his own.

Lucy wondered, what would it be like to have a kiss?

It didn't seem very fair to steal one from Natsu, but she felt it'd be harder on him if she allowed him to know what she wanted. It would only make things worst for when she left.

So maybe, stealing a kiss was the kinder thing to do.

Slowly, Lucy leaned in. The closer she got to his face, the more warmth she felt from his body. Her breaths were shaky, and she almost backed out three times, but she was still pushing forward.

It was only when her lips were centimeters away from his that she stopped. _'This isn't right...'_ The blonde forgot where she was as she let out a sigh, _'I'm such an idiot... Thinking I could just-'_

"Morning," a sleepy voice cut through her thoughts.

"Oh no," she reeled away from him, landing on her back. She'd been caught, and there was no logical explanation she could use to get her out of this.

"Ya know," Natsu said, his voice rough from sleep, "if you wanted a kiss, all you had to do was ask."

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Like I'd want that!" She felt her face flush from the embarrassment she suffered.

"Suit yourself," the dragon slayer said, but his actions spoke otherwise. He rolled so quickly that Lucy swore he teleported, because in less than a second he was on top of her, towering over her body. One leg was between her spread legs, as he rested on his knees. His top half rested on his elbows, that were placed near the sides of her face.

"What are you doing?!" She tried to get away from his hungry gaze, but all she managed to do was sink into the mattress more.

"Nothing you didn't do," he said, leaning in.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She was rendered speechless as he descended, until their noses touched. She thought he was done, but then he leaned in just a bit more.

All she could see were his green eyes, the right one dancing with specks of red. "Now," he said, his warm breath fanning over her lips. It sent goosebumps all over her body, but she didn't speak.

"If you want to kiss me, go ahead," Natsu held back the urge to smirk, "if you don't then that's okay. I'm just giving you the option."

As hard as she tried, no coherent thoughts came to her head, except one. _'He smells like a campfire...'_

Lucy gulped as she forced herself to think. Did she want to kiss him? Yes. _Should she kiss him_ was the real question. That she had no answer for.

Natsu knew this was a risky move, one that could make or break the bond they'd built together. He was optimistic by nature, holding on to the slim chance that maybe her feelings for him were stronger than her sense of duty to the church.

Lucy was unsure of a lot of things, but this... She knew she wanted this. _'The church never has to know...'_ That's what she told herself, before she captured his lips.

The blonde decided to stop thinking about anything that didn't involve Natsu's lips, because all she wanted to do was experience her first kiss in peace.

He was overly pleased that she kissed him on her own accord. Natsu waited a few seconds for her to get use to the feeling, before returning the kiss to the gorgeous woman.

* * *

 **There you have it, part two!**

 **Thank you for all the favs/follows! And thank you to those who reviewed: FlameDragonHime & mikethepokemaster.**

 **See you tomorrow with Day Four: Secrets**


	6. Secrets

**This chapter is over 7,000 words. I thought about cutting it in half, but I really didn't want to disrupt the flow... So... please deal with the length. By the way, those who wanted smut... enjoy. :)**

* * *

 **Day Four: Secrets**

Lucy's lips were soft compared to his, and he wanted to make this moment special for her. Natsu didn't know if kissing in a hotel bed when she was supposed to be trying to find his demonic self was special, but it was better than nothing!

Lucy's eyes fluttered closed as she tilted her head to slant her lips against his. He responded by lowering his body just a bit to lay on her. He didn't want to crush her, but it was hard to concentrate when all he could do was smell and taste Lucy.

The greedy dragon inside him wanted more.

Natsu's teeth nipped at her bottom lip, reddening the flesh before his tongue soothed away the bite. Lucy assumed she was supposed to do the same thing, so she opened her mouth to expose her teeth.

Of course Natsu had no idea that her intentions were to bite him back, so he took her opened mouth as an invitation to deepen the kiss. The blonde let out a soft gasp when she felt Natsu's hot tongue invade her moist cavern.

His wet muscle worked to taste every bit of her mouth before sucking her tongue into his own. Lucy felt jolts running down her spine when their tongues massaged each other, and she swore her blood warmed up when his tongue tickled the roof of her mouth.

Lucy brought her hands up, placing them on his bare chest. The firm muscles twitched under her touch, and she admired his toned torso as her fingers started exploring his abdominal muscles.

Natsu rather enjoyed the way Lucy was touching him, and decided to do the same. The dragon slayer propped himself on one elbow, while his other hand reached down to grip at her waist. The thin material of her nightgown bunched up as he felt her slim stomach with his fingers.

The ministrations he did made Lucy feel really _weird_. It wasn't like when that man slapped her ass, or when that bandit grabbed her breasts. This was different. Whatever Natsu was doing sent wonderful shocks through her body, making her do things she didn't completely understand.

Natsu's warm hand moved until it gently rested over her right breast. When Lucy didn't protest, he gave it a little squeeze.

A moan tore from Lucy's throat, but it was muffled by Natsu's mouth on hers. Right now he was letting her take the lead in their battle for dominance, intrigued to see what she liked and didn't like.

He loved the way their saliva mixed together, making it hard to tell whose taste was who's. Natsu suddenly let out a grunt when he felt Lucy's thighs clench around his leg. He had almost forgotten he had his leg wedged between her legs, and wondered if she was already feeling the effects of their kissing.

The dragon slayer kneaded her breast, feeling her nipple harden under his touch. He focused on it, brushing the bud, wishing her nightgown was a little more low cut so he could lower the damn thing.

When Natsu touched Lucy's twin peaks, she lost it. It was like her body knew what to do, even though she'd never touched a man like this before. Her hips bucked, and her panty-covered core rubbed against his leg.

" _Mmmph_ ," the holy maiden moaned at the pulsing sensations she felt at the apex of her leg. She'd never experienced something so tantalizing, and she wanted more.

Natsu's lips moved fluidly against hers, nipping at her bottom lip occasionally when he wasn't tasting her wet mouth. He lowered his body more, letting her rub herself against his leg easier.

Lucy wasn't allowing herself to think at all, because she knew if she did, she'd feel ashamed for letting herself partake in this sinful act.

Natsu sped up the kiss as he pinched her nipples, causing Lucy to buck against him again and again, until soon she had her own rhythm going. She was unsure why a delicious pleasure coursed through her body every time her privates hit his leg, but the sensation was simply too good to resist. Every time she felt that amazing chill run through her body, it was accompanied by a throaty moan.

Natsu's mouth left hers in favor of exploring more of the maiden's body. He had to admit, the pout on her lips was pretty damn cute, but he wanted to taste _every_ bit of her.

A soft mewl escaped her plump lips when his mouth sucked on her neck. He planted wet, open-mouth kisses from her jaw line, to the crook of her neck. His sharp teeth leaving love bites as he trailed his way back up again.

Everything he did seemed to make Lucy dive further and further into the world of lust, and Natsu couldn't blame her. Everything she was doing made him do the same damn thing. He especially loved the noises she made when he touched her. She was so _responsive_.

His hand felt around at her chest until he came to the top of her nightgown. He was tempted to rip the thing off her body, but he exercised self-control, and instead slipped his hand under the material as his rough hand found her left breast.

" _Oooohhh_ ," Lucy moaned at the blissful feeling.

He showed the mound the same attention he did the right, pinching and pulling gently at the pert nipple. Lucy arched her back, pressing herself fully against him. He wished she could stay like that forever, but her strength gave out, making her drop back to the bed.

Natsu finally lowered the rest of his body down, leaving no room between the two. All without breaking the intense kiss he was showing the middle of her neck, he moved his other leg until he was settled between her spread legs, that only widened to allow him room.

The dragon slayer was hesitant, but so far Lucy hadn't given him any reasons to stop. So he went with his instincts, and pressed their hips together.

" _Ahhh_ ," Lucy instantly felt his hardened member pressing against her soft core. Her eyes shot open, but she didn't try to shove him away. She knew exactly what that was, because growing up, kids talked.

Of course she'd never seen one before, and this was the first time she actually felt one, even if technically it was her covered womanhood that was feeling it.

Lucy had stilled her hips for long enough. The pulsing between her legs wasn't going away, and she needed to give it some relief. The only thing she found so far that soothed the dull ache was friction, so she used his new position to her advantage.

The maiden's hips raised, grinding against his member. Natsu immediately responded by dry humping her, all while his finger still teased her left nipple, and his mouth sucked at the flesh of her neck.

Lucy's hands traveled from his chest to his back, pulling him closer to her needy, writhing body. "Na-Natsuuu!"

Hearing her moan his name was almost too much to handle. It spurred up wild urges that were hard to resist.

Sliding his erection against her was definitely making her wet, because Natsu could smell her sweet arousal drift through the air. She smelled so fresh, so pure. He wanted to have a taste, but decided to tease her a bit more before moving on to other things.

His mouth opened wider as his teeth scraped against her tender flesh. He didn't even try to stop the urge this time, instead he just bit down on her, causing her to jump up against his body.

" _Ngghhh_ ," she cried through clenched teeth as she felt her skin break.

A feral growl tore from his throat once Natsu tasted blood, knowing he bit a little to hard. That didn't stop him from sucking at the spot, marking her as his own. _'Claim her! Take her!'_

He could smell the effect he had on her. He knew she was wet and ready down there for his cock. Her heavy panting and the way she still hadn't protested to what they were doing let him know he could have her. He could make her succumb to his desires.

He wanted her.

She wanted him.

But he couldn't do it.

Lucy's eyes were shut tight, dealing with the mixture of pain and pleasure Natsu was giving her. It felt so amazing, and she felt every nerve light up as he touched her in ways she never dreamed of.

It was overwhelming, and she felt like any second she was going to burst! All of her senses were in overdrive, and she just needed a little push before... Well before _something_ was going to happen. She didn't know what, but the signals her body delivered to her brain told her to hold on for dear life.

It was going to be intense...

And then she felt nothing.

Lucy finally realized how badly she needed air when all the touching stopped. She slowly opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling and not at the face of the man who had sent her to the edge.

She lifted her head, only to see the back of the fire dragon slayer. Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she saw him sling on his vest.

 _'He's getting dressed?'_

The blonde looked down at her body. Her nightgown was wrinkled and bunched up around her waist. She felt a discomfort between her legs, and when she went to touch her core with her fingers, she noticed her panties were soaking wet. _'Did I do this?'_

As she sat up, she felt the wetness between her legs become more noticeable. Trying to ignore that, she pulled up the blankets up to her collarbone to hide her body. All she could do was stare at Natsu's back while she waited for an explanation.

Natsu on the other hand, was trying to think of one.

He didn't know they were going to get that far after just _one_ kiss. He guessed it was her first, but he really didn't know, because she never told him anything about her past. Well, except that she belongs to a cult/church, but that did nothing to settle his nerves.

He could feel her staring at him, and did his best to stall before he had to face her. He'd already gotten completely dressed, so there wasn't much left he could do before turning around.

The dragon slayer finally met her gaze, a blush staining her cheeks, and he guessed his own face was red as well with how hot it felt.

He took a deep breath before giving her a sheepish smile, "sorry about that. I didn't mean to get carried away."

Lucy looked stunned by his words and he half expected her to get mad at him. Instead, she shook her head, her voice rattled as she spoke, "no need to be sorry. It was my fault too." The blonde looked down at the comforters, and the sadness in her eyes let him know she was probably ashamed of herself.

She was a holy maiden, and what they did was sinful, _wrong_ , but it just felt so right. He'd never felt such a connection to anyone else, and he'd be damned if he let that stupid church keep him away from her.

Natsu walked up to her, waiting for her to acknowledge his presence. When she finally glanced up at him, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, bringing her in for a hug. He wanted to tell her he loved her again, but he didn't want to accidentally upset her again, he he remained silent.

The blonde's cheek rested against his chest, and she swore he still had a bulge in his pants, but she couldn't inspect because he was already pulling away.

"You should get some breakfast. I'm gonna go to Sabertooth and talk to Sting," Natsu informed as he went to reach for the door. "Meet me there when you're ready?" He asked, gaze flitting back to her one last time.

"Yeah," her voice was a bit softer than normal, and he hoped he didn't screw things up with her. He felt like the best thing he could do for her right now was give her time to process what happened. If all else fails, he didn't have sex with her, so she was still pure. A little tainted for the church, but still innocent.

"See you later, Luce," he said, closing the door after he slipped through.

Natsu leaned his back against the shut door, staring at the hall that would lead him to the exit. "What have I done," he groaned, before jutting himself away from the door so he could leave.

In the room, Lucy was finally getting out of bed. Her body felt uncomfortable now, like she denied it something, but she didn't know what. All she knew for sure was that she was antsy, and that she wanted to see Natsu.

"What did I do?" She looked over to her folded up clothes by the bathroom door, then down to her nightgown.

The blonde knew she should feel horrified after letting herself succumb to such harlot activities after a single kiss. She felt ruined, but the thought didn't bother her as much as it should have. She chalked it up to Natsu being a bad influence on her. If she never met him, she wouldn't have to deal with this situation.

She had a mission to accomplish, and it had been delayed several times because of her feelings for the dragon slayer. She was prepared to kill END before she met Natsu, so she could do it now without his help.

As she dressed for the day, she made up her mind. It would hurt, but it had to be done. She had been selfish for long enough, and it was time she served her purpose for the church. She had to complete her mission, go home, and ask for forgiveness for the sinful act she just engaged in.

However, there was one thing she had to do before she could set out on her quest.

She had to leave Natsu.

* * *

The holy maiden had just finished packing up her bag before she went to check out. Igneel told her END lives in Magnolia, so that was her destination. She considered just leaving, using the last bit of jewels they had to buy a train ticket and just vanish.

However, that wouldn't be fair to Natsu, who not only deserved his share of the money, but also a proper goodbye.

Lucy found herself walking through the forest again. _'I'm so sick of the woods.'_ She vowed to never return to a forest after she returned to the church. The vow was rendered moot anyway, because once she finished her mission, she'd have no reason to leave the church again.

The blonde decided to stop by Sabertooth since that's where Natsu said he was going. She would try to make it a short goodbye, letting him know she had fun, but their time together was up. She wasn't sure if Natsu really loved her, but she couldn't let that get to her. She had duties, and none of them involved being with the dragon slayer.

Being around Natsu made her feel _weird_. She didn't know what it was about him, but he made her doubt herself, doubt the church, and that was dangerous.

 _Natsu_ was dangerous.

She wasn't even halfway through the forest when she heard a loud shout, followed by laughter. She knew she should just continue on her path, but it sounded like someone was hurt, and she couldn't ignore someone's pain.

Curiously, the blonde traveled in the direction of the voices, hands quickly grabbed Taurus's key just in case.

She walked for less than a minute when she could finally distinguish some of the words being said.

"Did you really think you could hide from us forever?"

"Hey boss, let's dunk him in the river! I'm sure he'd _love_ that!"

"No, let's have some fun with him first. My knife's been begging to be used!"

"Shut up! We have strict orders to take him back _alive_. We can't risk killing him with your selfish fun."

"But boss-"

"No buts!"

Lucy had never heard these voices before, so she crouched down to avoid being seen. Once again she reminded herself that this was not her business and that she should just go, but then she heard something that made her shutter. She heard _his_ voice.

"GET THIS FUCKING THING OFF ME! I SWEAR I'LL FUCKING END YOU IF YOU DON'T LET ME GO YOU BASTARDS!"

The holy maiden gasped. It was Natsu shouting.

She didn't think twice when she started running, not even caring that her cover was blown and she was now facing at least a dozen men.

"What's going on here?" She was surprised her voice held strength instead of the fear she felt pumping through her veins. Her friend was in trouble, and she couldn't even see him.

Her eyes scanned the area, counting thirteen man, a river, and a thick brown netting on the ground. Only when she focused on the blob on the ground did she notice the pink hair sticking out between the net.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, terrified when he didn't answer. "What did you do to him?"

"Look girlie, this doesn't concern you," a man stepped out from the group. Judging by the way he held himself, she guessed he was their leader. "We're just completing a mission, so why don't you just run along."

"I'm not leaving my friend!"

"Your friend?" The man scoffed, "you mean this demon?" He pointed towards the netting that held the dragon slayer down. "He's not going anywhere. Not with that anti-magic net anyway."

"Anti... magic... net?" Lucy had heard of that device before. If it's thrown on a wizard, it immediately drains their magic straight from their body, leaving them helpless.

"That's the only thing you heard?" The man laughed, looking around at the other men. "This chick didn't even flinch when I said demon. She must know 'bout him. We should take her in too!"

"What?" Lucy finally realized the men were approaching her. "Not so fast! Open! Gate of the golden bull!"

She held the gate key high, letting them know she wasn't some helpless woman they could mess with. "Taurus!"

A loud _ding-dong_ sounded, before the bull spirit showed up in a flash of gold. "Moooooooo!"

"What the heck?" The leader looked at the celestial spirit with a confused expression. "She's a wizard! Get the other net!"

Lucy's eyes widened, knowing she had to act fast to save Natsu before she was captured too. "Taurus! Cut Natsu free, and take out these men!"

"With pleasure Miss Luuuuuucy! And might I say you're looking _smoooookin'_ in that outfit!" The bull spirit charged for the men, leaving Lucy stunned for a second before she looked down.

She finally remembered she was dressed in different clothing, _revealing_ clothing. The maiden didn't have time to dwell on her fashion choice as she had to focus her attention on saving her friend.

She didn't think twice when she pulled _her_ key from the pouch, knowing she'd regret it later, but this was no time to worry. She didn't want to take any chances when Natsu was on the line.

Lucy moved fast to the river, dodging two men by ducking under their limbs. She clenched her teeth as she muttered, "Open, gate of the water barrier!"

A golden light appeared when she stuck her key into the river, the water swirling around from the magic power. "Aquarius!"

The _ding-dong_ accompanying the blue haired spirit went unnoticed as Lucy mentally prepared herself for the yelling. She didn't have to wait long.

"Why the hell did you call me, girl?" The water barrier asked in a snide tone, "I was out on a date with my boyfriend!"

"I'm sorry Aquarius, but I really need your help," Lucy pointed to the group of men charging towards her.

The spirit tsked, before raising her urn above her head, "I'll help you now, but you owe me!"

"Of course! Anything!" The blonde stepped to the side as the mermaid spirit cast the approaching men a scowl.

She started low, but soon her scream intensified as she spun in a circle, water following her movement until she had a whirlpool surrounding her. The men had only a few seconds to react before the water washed them away, as well as Lucy.

The female wizard caught the branch of a tree, clinging to the wood for dear life as Aquarius went through her attack. When all the water calmed, Aquarius was gone, as well as half the men.

Lucy saw Taurus struggling with one of the men who used an anti-magic net as a barrier between himself and the bull.

She looked over to Natsu, who was still under the magic draining net. He looked barely conscious, with only one eye open. Their gazes locked for a second, before she pulled out her whip to attack some more men.

She knew she had to save him.

The dragon slayer was barely holding on, feeling his magic at an all time low. He'd only felt this way a few times before, and it usually resulted in him eating a different element to gain some power, but there was nothing for his body to consume.

All Natsu could do was watch as Lucy and her spirit fought to save him. His hindered ability to take care of himself caused him an ill feeling in the pit of his stomach. He tried not to let it get to him, since there was nothing he could do now.

He had been careless, so caught up in thinking about Lucy that he didn't even notice when the men surrounded him. He got two good punches in before the damn net was dropped on his body. It worked immediately, draining enough magic to bring him to his knees.

However, it didn't stop there. The thing continued sucking his power with a thirst he'd never seen before. He knew he was a goner, until Lucy showed up.

The way she fought right now compared with the tenacity of a dragon slayer. Natsu didn't think he could hold more respect for Lucy, but here she was, proving him wrong yet again. He hoped to hell she didn't see the pendents the men were wearing, one of which was held in his grip.

The dragon slayer couldn't move his head, so he just tightened the grip he had on the necklace, wondering if he was really going to get out of this if she found out.

His question was answered as soon as the leader yelled at her, "idiot! You are getting in our way!"

"Well you're hurting my friend, so I don't care!" Lucy cracked her whip at the last man before darting towards the leader. Taurus was already behind Natsu, slashing at the net with his axe. It took extra effort since the net wasn't meant to be cut using magic.

"As per our orders from Zentopia, we must capture this demon!"

Lucy's running came to an immediate halt, her legs stumbling until she landed hard on her knees. She felt no pain as her mind tried to wrap itself around the words he just spoke. "You're from Zentopia?"

The net holding Natsu down was finally broken, the bull spirit lifted the dragon slayer into his arms, but he didn't want to be rescued anymore.

Lucy was about to learn the truth, learn about the secret he'd been keeping from her. He had no reasons to be free now, since he knew where her allegiance fell. He just hoped Lucy would kill him instead of letting those men take him as a prisoner. He'd rather die then have them torture him again.

"Yes," the leader fished in his shirt until he pulled out a chain holding the Zentopia emblem. "I am the Cardinal for the West branch. We have strict orders to bring this demon in alive."

"Natsu's not a demon!" Lucy pulled her whip back, cracking it hard and letting it slice against the man's hand, causing him to drop his necklace. "I don't know why you're lying, but you need to leave my friend alone! I don't want to hurt you!"

The holy maiden surprised Natsu when she aimed for another attack.

"I'm not lying, he's-"

The whip came down on his foot, startling the leader and causing him to yelp. "Miss you don't understand! He's-"

"Taurus!"

"Yes Miss Luuuuuucy!" The bull spirit swiftly brought his fist down on the Cardinal's head, knocking him out cold instantly.

"Natsu!" The maiden yelled as she ran towards her friend. She stumbled a bit, feeling the effects of her own magic draining from calling on her two strongest spirits. She reached the fire dragon slayer, seeing his face abnormally pale.

"Come on!" Lucy motioned for Taurus to follow her while carrying Natsu. The pink haired man almost laughed from the odd position he found himself in, but laughing required energy, and he lacked that.

They ran for a few minutes before Taurus hollered, "I'm sorry miss Luuuucy, but my time is up."

The blonde bit her lip, unsure if she should try to call another spirit or chance running with the dragon slayer. She nodded to Taurus, who set Natsu down on his feet before vanishing in a gold light.

"Can you move?" Lucy walked up to him, glad that some of the color was already returning to his face.

"Yeah," he was surprised by how winded he sounded.

The maiden didn't take any longer to doubt if he was telling the truth or trying to be brave. She grabbed his wrist and roughly pulled him as she sprinted through the forest. They weren't that far from the edge, where they'd find Sabertooth any minute.

"Wait!" Natsu panted as he came to an abrupt halt. Most of his magic was drained from his body, and he could feel the strain of running catch up to him as his legs burned. His joints protested any further movement, causing him to brace himself against a tree.

"We have to keep going Natsu," Lucy urged, tugging on his wrist in an effort to get the dragon slayer to move.

"They're not coming," he shook his head. "You knocked them out, remember?"

"Not really," the blonde gave up on her tugging and stood close to the weakened man. "I was to busy trying not to get soaked by Aquarius!" She wanted to add, _'plus I was thrown off by what that man said about you...'_

"Hehe," he laughed, remembering the scowl her blue haired spirit wore. "She sure was scary," laughing didn't hurt so much, so he guessed his magic was returning.

"You mean _evil_ ," despite the maiden's words, she held Aquarius close to her heart. She was there for Lucy when no one else was, even if she pretended to despise the blonde.

"Thanks for saving my ass back there," Natsu said, changing the subject. Every second he was away from that anti-magic net was another second his body absorbed the necessary ethernano to recharge. He could feel his strength slowly returning.

The bridge of Lucy's nose tinted red from his sudden gratitude. "Yeah, no problem." She felt her heart race, and all she wanted to do was tell him how terrified she was back there. She honestly thought she was about to lose Natsu, which made her unsure about what she should do. She didn't _want_ to leave him. She didn't want to give him up, but she _had_ to.

"You could have left me," the dragon slayer spoke, meeting her gaze. "But you didn't. You fought against people of your own church, why?" Don't get him wrong, he was grateful for her help, but it brought on more questions. It also raised his hopes that maybe she was starting to think for herself, and not her church.

"You heard that?" She had hoped he didn't hear what the man said. "It doesn't matter where he's from or what he said. He's a liar, I know you're not a demon! Anyone who looks at you can tell. Besides, he's not from _my_ church, just a different branch. I'm from the southern Zentopia."

The dragon slayer wanted to snort. _'Of course it's that one... That's just my fucking luck...'_ He pushed that horrible information to the back of his mind to listen to what she said before.

Natsu listened to her reasoning, but he could tell she was in denial. "I thought it didn't matter what branch you come from. Aren't you supposed to stick together? Common goals and all that shit?"

Lucy felt her face heat up, but not from a blush. It was from anger. "How do you know so much about _my_ church?! Ugh! It doesn't matter," she shook her head. "Yes we all have common goals, so I should have helped him."

"Then why didn't you?" The dragon slayer pushed just a bit to far, because now she was screaming.

"Because, you idiot!" Lucy shouted, causing him to blink in shock. Her hands curled into tight fists, her eyes closing as she finally confessed, "it's because I love you!"

"Y-you...do?" The pink haired man asked in shock. Even though he'd been hoping she'd tell him how she felt, he never thought it'd be that strongly.

"Of course I do," the holy maiden said, opening her watery eyes to allow her tears to flow. "I have for a while now... It's just..."

"Zentopia?"

"Yeah," the blonde frowned as her eyes dulled. "I don't know what to do. Zentopia is my home. They raised me, took care of me, trained me. All I have to do is kill END and I can finally repay them for all the kindness they've showed me... But," Lucy took a deep breath as she threw her arms around his chest. "I don't know why those men wanted you, but they can't have you! _I_ can't even have you!"

Natsu almost fell backwards from the sudden contact. His magic was barely halfway charged, so he could manage to stand upright for now. His own arms wrapped around her shaky body, trying to will away her tears. He never thought the sight of Lucy crying could affect him so negatively.

"I love you Natsu," she sobbed, gripping tighter on his body. "But I can't be with you."

He felt as though a vice held his heart, slowly tightening with every word she spilled. He wanted to be with her, so much that it ached knowing she couldn't be his. "Please, Lucy... Don't think about the church right now. What do _you_ want?"

She shook her head, messing up her hair in the process. She didn't care how she looked right now, because all she felt was the twinge of pain stabbing at her chest. "I want you!"

"You can have me," Natsu offered himself without thoughts of protests. "I'm not going anywhere."

"But _I_ am!" She finally pulled back, much to the dragon slayer's dissatisfaction. "I was coming here to tell you I'm leaving, _without you_."

If Natsu's heart could break in two, it would. A heaviness settled on his chest as her words sunk in. "With...out...me?"

"Yes," Lucy said in a ragged voice. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to hurt like this anymore. I need to forget about you, forget about all of this. I just need to do my mission and return home."

The maiden's hands still gripped his vest, turning her knuckles white. "We're just hurting ourselves Natsu. Don't you want to forget about me too?"

The dragon slayer's eyes pricked with tears. A single droplet ran down his cheek, disappearing under his chin. His stomach churned wildly in protest of what he was hearing.

"No," he shook his head, so violently that it might break his neck. "I don't want to, I _can't_."

"You have to," Lucy finally let go of his vest, letting her arms fall slack to her side. " _I_ have to."

She took a step back, but his hand caught her wrist. The grip was painful, but she ignored the discomfort as he pleaded to her, "if you're really gonna leave me... Can I have one more kiss?"

Lucy's tears were still flowing, her throat closed up from the tightness. For a while she just stared at his scarf, watching it sway lightly with the breeze. She was terrified to meet his gaze, but she knew she had to.

Finally, her brown eyes met his green ones, and she nodded. _'One more kiss...'_

Natsu wasted no time as he grabbed her. Lucy's back slammed into the tree, but she felt nothing... nothing but the feeling of his lips on her.

He kissed her with every ounce of passion he could muster. He gripped his waist, surly bruising it, but he couldn't bring himself to loosen up. He didn't want her to leave. He'd do _anything_ to keep her from leaving.

The dragon slayer was greedy, and he allowed himself this horrible trait for now. He said one more kiss, so as long as he doesn't pull away... As long as his lips stay on hers, she can't leave... Right?

His hot lips moved against hers, trying to spur some reaction out of her. His eyes were closed, because he was too frightened to meet her gaze. He knew she wasn't enjoying this like she did this morning, but he couldn't stop, because then she would go away forever.

Her skin felt abnormally cold. Natsu's body pressed against her, trying to warm her up. He loved her, and he just wanted to be with her. Why was she making this so difficult? Why did she have to join that fucking cult? Why did she have to kill him?

After what felt like ages of Natsu forcing the kiss, she finally leaned in, kissing him back.

Relief washed over him as her lips moved against his, her hands coming up and resting on his biceps.

The grip on her waist loosened just a bit as Lucy's tongue probed the seam of his lips. He opened his mouth in a hurry, wanting to see if she really meant it.

Her tongue entered his hot mouth, licking at his own wet muscle before venturing around. Natsu's eyes stung with the tears trying to escape, but he couldn't open his eyes. Not yet.

He forced himself to breathe through his nose, still not willing to separate from her. A kiss is a kiss, no matter how long.

The dragon slayer's tongue began to move, playing with her own as they languidly fought. To be honest he was letting her win, because his mind wasn't focusing on his tongue, it was on her hands that were traveling around his torso.

He was waiting, anticipating her to throw him off of her, but it never happened. Instead she shocked him, by wrapping her arms around him to pull him closer.

In all honesty, she shocked herself too. At the beginning she was upset that he'd take advantage of her like this, but she knew he was hurting. She was hurting too, so much that she bit his bottom lip, finally ending the _one_ kiss.

Her blunt teeth chewed on his lip while her nails clawed at his vest. She found that converting her pain into anger was so much easier than facing the reality of the situation. She said one more kiss, but she said nothing about anything else.

Lucy's hand grabbed his scarf, ripping it away from his neck to expose his flesh. She let it drop to the ground without any care for his beloved treasure. Her mouth left his, seeing the tears staining his cheeks before she bit him, _hard_.

It wasn't hard enough to break the skin, but it was enough to leave a bruise. Natsu didn't stop her, instead he ran his hands up and down her sides while turning his neck to give her a better angle.

Dragons and dragon slayers weren't supposed to be marked, they were supposed to do the marking. It was humiliating for someone like him to allow this to happen. However, Natsu couldn't bring himself to deny her of this. Truthfully it filled him with a sliver of comfort. It was probably false hope, but hey, he'd take what he could get.

Natsu's hard chest was pressed against her soft breasts, his lower region leaving no space between hers. He wanted so desperately to thrust himself against her, since his cock was already rock hard and throbbing painfully, but he didn't do it.

He knew he was already taking too much from her, so he accepted that he couldn't fulfill this urge, or the many others circling in his head.

Turns out he didn't have to take action, because Lucy was already doing that for him. The blonde was furious at Natsu, and herself. They shouldn't be doing this, but she didn't want to stop. She didn't want to give him up.

Because once they separated, it was over.

Her hips bucked against his, creating a nice friction against his erection. " _Ohhh_ , Lucy..." He moaned, earning another few snaps of her hips.

Natsu's large hands moved, one going up to cup her right breast, while the other ventured south to touch her covered womanhood.

Lucy allowed him to touch her, in fact she encouraged it when she whispered, "yes," right before biting him a second time, right above the scar on his neck. The first bite mark appeared as a large, dark red bruise, with teeth indentations circling the mark.

The second time she bit him, she broke the skin. Beads of crimson surfaced before her tongue swiped them away. It tasted like old pennies, but she didn't care. She just wanted him to feel pain, hoping it would make their separation hurt less. It was messed up logic, but that's all she had to go on for the moment.

Natsu didn't mind a little pain, since his mind was otherwise distracted. Lucy was grinding her core against his hand, and he had to have more! His hand slipped under her skirt, until his fingers brushed against her soaked panties.

Lucy let out a moan when his fingertips started playing with her core. " _Mmmm_ , ma-more," the maiden said once her teeth left his neck. She rested her forehead against his shoulder as she started trying to catch her breath.

"Anything for you," the dragon groaned, lust clouding his eyes. His fingers pushed her panties to the side before he slipped a finger into her core. Her aroused scent met his nose, and he nearly lost control.

He thrust his finger into her as deep as it would go, feeling just how tight her virgin walls truly were. She didn't tell him to stop, she only moaned more as he curled his finger inside her body.

Natsu inserted a second digit while using his thumb to rub at her bundle of nerves. "Naa-tsuuu, d-don't, don't stop!"

She said it! She said the one thing that made his heart soar! She wanted this. _'Maybe... Maybe if I do this good enough, she won't leave me...'_

Natsu had to believe it, because he had nothing else to hold on to. His fingers rammed into her core, letting her fluids drip on his hand and fall to the ground. The pad of his thumb worked hard to bring her to the edge.

He had denied her earlier, not on purpose. It was just a coincidence that his conscience got the better of him right at that moment. He wouldn't let it happen again. He'd bring this to the end, he had to.

One of Lucy's hand rubbed down his body, until it settled over his bulge. She palmed his erection, causing the dragon slayer to jolt from the sudden contact. Her other hand went straight for his hair, tugging it violently until she shifted his head to her neck.

Natsu already knew what she wanted without being told, but he waited anyway, desperately wanting to hear those words.

"Bite me!"

 _'With pleasure, Lucy!'_

His sharp canines sunk into her flesh while his fingers picked up speed. His free hand was busy unzipping the front of her shirt to expose her creamy flesh to the forest. Once exposed, he ran his finger up to her bra, pushing it up and out of the way before his fingers rubbed her perky nipple.

"Y-yes, please, p-please more!" Lucy's hips moved against his fingers, trying to get more friction. Her own hand rubbed against his erection straining in his pants.

His fingers curved inside her, sloshing around and rubbing against her sweet spot inside, while his thumb circled her engorged bundle of nerves. Her body trembled, her breathing turned ragged, and her blood dripped from her neck wound.

It was too much for the holy maiden, and her legs buckled just as her body experienced her first ever orgasm, accompanied with a sting of soft grunts and moans.

Natsu's hand that teased her breast snaked around her waist, pulling her against him so she wouldn't fall as tremors pulsed through her body. She moaned his name as he slowed his fingers, then finally he pulled his hand away from her sensitive womanhood.

Her hands fell to her sides, no strength left in her body to hold them up. Her nerves felt sensitive, and even Natsu's fingers pulling out of her caused her to moan. She'd never felt something so pleasurable, so _freeing_.

Natsu cupped her cheeks, but quickly had to drop his hands because her arousal was still lingering on his fingers. The smell was driving him insane, and he had to think, he had to speak. His forehead rested against hers, feeling a thin layer of sweat between their skin.

"That was wonderful," Lucy panted, her breath fanning his face as she lowered her head on his shoulder. She rode out the rest of her release, wondering how on Earthland she was going to make this up to her gods.

She was a sinner, and sinners were punished. Thinking of her gods gave Lucy an idea though.

"Natsu," she breathed against his sweaty neck, "I know what we can do..."

"What's that?" The dragon slayer said, his erection throbbed against his body, begging for the same release Lucy got. However, he denied himself such pleasures, knowing he didn't deserve them.

"Zentopia!" The blonde pulled away slightly, meeting his confused gaze. "You can come with me back to my church. Explain to them that there has to be some kind of mistake, because you're obviously not a demon."

"...Lucy..."

"It'll work. You'll see, they're very understanding," she assured, but Natsu only snorted.

"Trust me, understanding is something they're not."

"Why would you say that?" Lucy pulled back further, the furrow in her brow showing him he said the wrong thing.

"Look Luce, I've had some run ins with Zentopia before. I'd rather stay far away from them. They'd never believe I'm not a demon." Natsu felt it, the impending doom. He was on the edge of truth and lies, and he didn't know which way he'd fall. Hopefully she'd just drop this insane thought, but Lucy was a stubborn one.

"Why would they think you're a demon?" She didn't know how badly the question effected him.

He felt it in the pit of his stomach, the anguish he was about to unleash on her, but he had to tell her the truth. It was long over due. He really hoped what she said about the church related to her as well. That maybe she'd be understanding, and give him a chance to explain himself.

Natsu had no idea how she'd react, so he confessed with a heavy heart, "because I am a demon, Luce."

The blonde finally separated herself from the dragon slayer, an incredulous expression on her face. "I don't believe you."

"Look," Natsu sighed as he decided to just come clean. He hoped that her love for him was enough to keep her sane. Still, he had to tell her.

"The demonic dragon you've been looking for... he's me. I'm END."

* * *

 **There are only a few days left to go for Nalu week! (and four chapters left to go for this story!)**

 **Thank you for all the favs/follows! And thank you to those who reviewed: Kauia, FlameDragonHime, & Crimsonlink310(x2)**

 **See you tomorrow with Day Five: Struggle**

 **Once again, don't worry about reading these chapters once they come out. Take your time. :)**

 **Let me know whatcha think!**


	7. Struggle

**Day Five: Struggle**

"Pardon me Miss, but is this seat taken?"

Lucy blinked past her watery eyes, ripping her gaze away from the grimy window to peer up at a young man. "No, it's free," the maiden's voice was hoarse and dry from crying.

"I'm sorry," the man shook his head, startled by her tears, "I'll find another seat."

Lucy let him walk away, not bothering to tell him it was fine. She really didn't care who sat next to her, as long as they let her cry in peace. That's all she wanted right now, because her heart couldn't stand the pain.

This was the fourth train she'd been on since she left to go back to her church...back to her _home_. She wasn't allowed to return until she killed the demonic dragon known as END.

The blonde stared absentmindedly out the window, waiting for the train to take off. This would be the last one she had to take, before she reached her destination.

She let out a heavy sigh, wondering why life was so cruel...

 _'Why did I have to love a demon?'_

Her mind wandered back to when she first left the church, excited to finally prove her worth. Lapointe had given her a pep talk, boosting her confidence. Others at the church didn't think she could do it, but she was determined to prove them wrong. _I'll show them_ , she told herself as she set out on her mission.

It was only by random luck that she ran into Natsu...END. Lucy was having a hard time figuring out what to call him. She remembered when he was introducing himself to her, she cut him off. _'What if he was going to tell me then?'_ She'd never know now, because she couldn't ask him.

The maiden felt the jolt from the train moving just as she remembered agreeing to team up with him. It was foolish of her to assume he was looking for the same dragon as her. Just because there are only a few dragons left didn't automatically guarantee they were searching for the same one. She should have just told him who she was looking for, then maybe all of this could've been avoided.

She wouldn't have fallen in love with him, and she wouldn't have had to...

Lucy shook her head, causing more salty tears to spill down her reddened cheeks. Her eyes were puffy, and stung from the excessive amount of crying. She was apathetic to the stares she received, or to the whispers spoken about the _unstable blonde_ in train cart 2.

The celestial wizard went back to her memories, wondering why she didn't notice Natsu's odd behavior for what it was. The red flickers in his eye, the incredible speed that no human or dragon slayer could possess, or the way he acted differently ever since she told him about her mission to kill END.

She felt stupid for allowing herself to become his friend, yet, she couldn't bring herself to regret the decision. Natsu had been the best friend she ever had, but it was just a facade.

Lucy felt betrayed by Natsu, but she understood his reasons for lying. It wouldn't have been the best idea for him to reveal his true identity to her after finding out her agenda. Then again, the maiden was unsure how she would react if he told her sooner.

She was still shocked by her hasty actions when he finally confessed that he was the demon she'd been searching for.

Her mind settled on that memory... The one that kept bringing her to tears.

 _"I'm END."_

 _Lucy stared at the pink haired man for a few minutes in complete silence, before she burst out into laughter. It was a joke! It had to be! There was no way her travel companion who she'd known for over a month was the same dragon she'd been sent to kill. There was no way._

 _The blonde fixed her bra, then zipped up her shirt, all while laughing. Natsu was always funny, but this time he was down right hilarious._

 _"It's not funny Luce," Natsu had a dark look in his eyes, the red flickering in his iris until it was a constant thing._

 _She had to blink hard, but nothing she did stopped what she was seeing. At first she assumed it was a parlor trick, some type of illusion, but what she saw was absolute. Natsu's right eye was completely red, while his left remained green._

 _"How did you do that?" She took a step closer to him, inspecting and trying to see past her messed up vision._

 _"How'd I do what?"_

 _"Your eye! It's red!" She didn't notice how loud she had become._

 _Natsu sighed as he dragged a hand over his face, "well... you didn't believe me, so I'm trying to show you I'm telling the truth."_

 _"It's clearly a trick! You're not END!"_

 _"But I am! If you still won't believe me, then I guess you leave me no choice," Natsu took a step back._

 _Lucy suddenly felt an unbearable heat surrounding her, until she realized it wasn't on her, it was radiating off the dragon slayer... The dragon slayer that was now glowing red._

 _"What are you doing!" The maiden screamed, wanting to take a step closer but the heat was too much. She ended up walking backwards._

 _"I'm showing you Luce," Natsu said as he closed his eyes._

 _Lucy watched in horror as his pink hair parted, making room for a black horn sprouting out, towards the left side of his head. A mangled groan left the dragon slayer when she noticed blood dripping from the right side of his head._

 _He placed a hand over the spot, and only then did she notice the long black claws extending from where his fingernails should be. "What's going on?" She yelled, but he didn't seem to hear her._

 _When he finally removed his clawed hand, she felt her stomach twist painfully. A horn was growing from the bloody spot, but it wasn't complete. The tip of his horn was gone, leaving the remaining piece a jagged, bloody mess._

 _Her eyes scanned his body, noticing red scales appearing out of thin air, covering his shoulders, arms, legs, and part of his face._

 _She saw his vest fall from his arms, torn in half by something on his back. She gulped, realizing that what she was seeing were wings._

 _At first they were closed up and tucked against his body, but a second later he spread them, letting her take in every detail of the large wings. The bones outlining them were covered in red scales, while the webbing between was a light pink, similar to his hair._

 _She heard a ripping sound through all his screaming, followed by what clearly looked to be a black spiked tail coming from his lower back. It was covered in the same red scales. When it finally stopped growing, it slumped by his legs, showing her it was slightly longer then his limbs._

 _The screaming finally stopped, Natsu dropping both clawed hands to his side before facing Lucy. She fell backwards when he opened his eyes._

 _"B-b-blood!" The blonde was terrified at the blood-red eyes staring at her, sizing her up. The red was surrounded by a pitch black color, causing her to shiver. He narrowed his eyes, only making her shriek._

 _ **"You didn't believe me,"**_ _the demon spoke, his voice distorted but calm._ _ **"This is my END form."**_

 _"Y-you really are..." She tried to pick herself up, but her arms were useless. "...a demon!"_

 _The pink haired demon's face lowered, his horrific eyes shielded by his hair._ _ **"I may be a demon, but I'm not a monster. I won't hurt you. I don't hurt people, and I didn't kill your parents."**_

 _"You're lying!" Lucy found the strength to stand up. Her words seemed to cut deep, because he looked up with a pained expression. Although, the pain could be due to his head still bleeding where his broken horn sprouted out._

 _ **"I'm not. I've never killed a person before,"**_ _the creature took a step closer to her,_ _ **"please Luce, please believe me!"**_

 _"Stay away from me!" She was shocked when he stopped moving, because she was sure he wouldn't listen. The maiden used this time to think, to deal with her situation._

 _She finally found him! The demonic dragon she was sent to kill. It should be clear to her what she should do, but she struggled with the decision. Even though he was END, he was still Natsu, her friend. He'd never given her a reason to suspect him as an evil creature, but here she was unable to decide what to do._

 _She thought about the story Lapointe told her. Ten years ago END killed her parents, but that would put Natsu at fifteen years old. Why would he kill them? What possible reason would he have?_

 _Lucy's hands flew to the side of her head as tears poured from her eyes. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to finish her mission, but she couldn't kill Natsu... could she?_

 _Right now he wasn't Natsu though, he was END. She'd have to push her feelings for him aside to finish her task, because otherwise she couldn't return home._

 _Lucy's hands lowered to her belt. She already used up most of her magic by calling on two spirits in a row, and her body was exhausted from what Natsu just did to her, so she wasn't sure how well she could fight right now._

 _Her heart clenched when she thought about him putting his hands on her, playing with her body in such an intimate way. She felt disgusted, but not because of what he did. She felt disgusted because even after finding out his identity, she was still happy he did it. She was glad it was_ Natsu _who touched her, because she loved him._

 _No, not_ loved. _She loves him._

 _Just because he was part demon didn't mean her feelings were invalid. Despite her love for him, she still had to make a decision. She stole one last look at the demon, his red eyes pleading for mercy, for trust._

 _Lucy shook her head, her tears blurring her vision. "I'm sorry Natsu!"_

 _That was the last thing she said before she grabbed her bag and ran._

 _The maiden didn't even know where she was going. She just knew she had to get away from him. She couldn't kill him, that much was obvious. Underneath that demonic appearance was the man she loved, and she couldn't bring herself to end his life._

 _Even when Lucy's legs ached, her lungs burned, and her sight was distorted, she still kept running. Only when she made it to the town did she slow down, but she didn't stop. She had to get away from the area fast._

 _Her feet carried her to the train station, going straight to the ticket booth. The man behind the glass screen asked her if she was alright after seeing her covered in sweat, dirt, and tears._

 _"I'm fine, can I just get a ticket?"_

 _The man complied, trading a ticket for some jewels. She felt bad spending the money they were supposed to share, but she wasn't going back. She couldn't see him again. If she wasn't sure earlier, she was now._

 _Lucy wasn't meant to fall in love with Natsu Dragneel, aka END._

 _The blonde boarded her first train, knowing it'd be a long ride back to the church._

Lucy's head rested against the glass. It was cold and hard, just like her heart. It felt that way ever since she found out the truth about Natsu.

She wasn't sure exactly what she was going to tell Lapointe when she got home. She could lie and say she never found him, but that would probably cause him to send her back out. She just wanted to go back to her regular life of writing and worshiping. It was a simple life.

Although she did enjoy the adventures she shared with Natsu. The memories were tainted with his deception. She struggled with her own heart, trying to tell it to disregard her feelings for the pink haired man, but she knew it was no use.

Natsu had left his mark on her heart, and there was no changing that.

Lucy closed her eyes, happy that she knew one thing she for sure wanted to do. She settled into her seat, letting her tired body finally rest after the long three days of travel she'd endured by train.

 _'I'll be home soon,'_ was her last thought before she slipped into a deep sleep.

* * *

The first person Lucy recognized when she stepped onto her church's property was unfortunately not the nicest. She was a woman about her age, with shoulder-length purple hair, with the exception of a large lock of white hair for her bangs. She was also one of the people rooting against her for the mission, saying the blonde didn't have it in her to take on a dragon.

 _'Well, guess she was right,'_ Lucy thought as she tried to walk past the woman. Luck wasn't on her side.

"Well look who finally came back! Like we totally thought you just disappeared," the purple haired woman snickered.

"Good evening Mary," the blonde maiden greeted, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.

Mary stepped in the way, "what are you _wearing?_ "

Lucy looked down to realize she had not changed into her maiden clothes. Her short skirt came to her upper thighs, her shirt was tight and sleeveless, her legs were covered in boots, and her hair was completely down.

"Shit, I forgot," the blonde shook her head.

"Like don't let the officials see you in that," the purple haired woman took a step back, "and you should like, stop cursing."

"What?" The inappropriately dressed maiden asked, only to remember she said _shit_.

 _'Natsu was such a bad influence on me.'_ She never minded his cussing, she just didn't think it rubbed off on her. "Never mind..." The blonde groused as thoughts of how much she already missed him surfaced in her mind.

She knew it was her that ran away, not Natsu. It was her choice to leave him, and she had to stick with it... No matter how much she doubted the decision now.

"Whatever, so spill, what like took you so long?"

Lucy sighed as she avoided the woman's gaze, "I couldn't do it."

The woman raised an arrow shaped brow, "well duh! I was wondering why you were gone for over two months. Fiore's not _that_ big," the other maiden knew how to get under Lucy's skin.

"Guess I wasn't cut out for it," the celestial wizard spoke more to herself than anyone. She was so confident in the beginning of her mission, wanting to show everyone how strong and brave she truly was. It was all for nothing in the end.

The purple haired woman laughed, "totally! Did you know-"

"Where's Lapointe?" Lucy cut Mary off with a sharp tone. She already felt like a failure, she didn't need to be reminded of it too.

"He's at home," the woman said dryly when she realized the fun was over.

"Thanks," the blonde mumbled quickly as she made her way around the church and towards the small houses behind it.

Her feet traveled the familiar path while her mind started to race. _'What am I going to tell him? Should I let him know about Natsu? Does he_ already _know about Natsu? No he couldn't, because then he'd just come out and tell me what he looks like. Unless he never saw Natsu's human form. It's messed up that there's more than one version of Natsu! Why couldn't he just be a normal guy, then maybe there was a chance I could convince the officials to let me marry him. Then again that's a big step. He probably wouldn't want to marry me anyways. I should just-'_

"Lucy!"

The blonde jolted back, not realizing she had already opened the door and walked into the home she shared with Lapointe.

Said man was staring at her from the dining room table, a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Sir," she bowed before saying, "I've returned from my-"

"What are you wearing?" He cringed when he noticed her inappropriate fashion choice. He was clearly disgusted by the revealing clothes adorning the young maiden.

"I'm very sorry about this," she waved her hand over her clothes, "during my travels my dress ripped, and I needed something, and this was the most modest outfit they had."

He shook his head, "it's alright... I guess. You can change after we talk. I assume you brought back good news?"

She gulped, "I've returned from my mission."

"Do you have the demon's horn?" The man asked as he stood up. He straightened his white robe before padding over towards her.

"First I have to tell you something," Lucy dreaded this. She didn't want the man who raised her to think she was a failure, but that's what she was.

"What is it?" His tone was soft and understanding, the same it always was when he spoke to her.

"I... I didn't kill END," she admitted, feeling a weight she didn't know she possessed lift from her shoulders. She didn't have time to enjoy the feeling as Lapointe was already talking again.

"Why not? Could you not find the demon?" The white haired man shook his head, "I knew I should have sent someone with you. This was too much for you, I should have gone with my first instincts."

"I found him!" Lucy blurted out. She was caught up with the fact that even Lapointe didn't think she could handle this on her own, that the truth slipped out. She hadn't fully decided if she was going to tell him that part, but it was too late to take it back now.

"You did? Where is he?" The man asked with an urgent tone.

Lucy hesitated, fear flashing through her brown eyes. She realized she didn't _want_ anyone to know where Natsu was, because she wanted him alive. She didn't want harm to fall on her friend, her _best_ friend.

"H-he was in some forest. I can't remember where," she lied. If she wanted to she could track down the exact spot she last saw him in. After the way she looked at Natsu, she doubted he'd want to see her again though.

"Why didn't you kill him? Was he to strong?" Lapointe asked the dazed girl, "did he hurt you? Rape you?"

"Rape me?" She almost spat, "he'd never do that to me!"

"You'd be surprised. He's raped hundreds of women during his lifetime," the white haired man crossed his arms across his torso, "we must stop him before he harms others."

"Why didn't you tell me he rapes people?" Lucy recalled tons of stories about the demonic dragon, but none included him forcing himself upon people. "And about his age, there's no way he's four hundred years old. He's only twenty-five!"

She didn't realize she started shouting. It shocked Lapointe, who knew her as the well-behaved young maiden she was. He took a few seconds to collect himself before talking again, "I didn't tell you because I didn't think you could handle it. And how do you know he's twenty-five?"

"He told me," Lucy admitted, finding herself wanting him to believe her.

Lapointe gave her a pointed look, "you spoke with the demon?"

"We exchanged words," she kept it vague to hide how close she truly got with Natsu. She was already on a slippery slope, and didn't want to anger the man who raised her anymore than she already did.

However, what he was saying was nonsense, and Lucy couldn't let his ignorance go unnoticed.

The man wore a pitiful smile, one that was meant to doubt herself. "You mustn't believe his lies. It will corrupt you."

"I don't think he's a liar," Lucy said, words more sharp than she intended. She didn't like the way Lapointe was talking about Natsu.

"Well it doesn't matter what you think," he snapped, "the church knows best, and that demon is _nothing_ but a vile, disgusting, lying, murderer!"

Lucy jolted back from his sudden shouting. She peered up at the man, struggling to keep herself behaved. She never raised her voice with him in all the years she knew him before today, but she couldn't stay silent. Not when they had the wrong idea.

"Na-" She shook her head, not wanting to reveal his human name in case they did search for him. "END isn't the guy you think he is," why couldn't they see he wasn't evil?

"He certainly is! I've seen him in action," the man flailed his arms as he ranted, "happily ripping your parents apart and bathing in their blood for fun."

"I don't think he killed my parents," she finally admitted. She'd been doubting the fact ever since she got on the first train. She could feel it deep in her heart, Natsu wasn't a murderer.

"Why would you say that?" Lapointe crossed his arms over her chest, letting his white robe flow with the movement. He appeared to actually be listening, so Lucy used this rare opportunity to plead his case.

"Because, he's not a bad guy. I've talked to him, spent time with him. There's just some kind of big misunderstanding! He's not evil! He's actually nice!" Lucy could see the wheels turning in Lapointe's head, and she thought for a moment he was considering her words.

"Wait," the Cardinal narrowed his eyes, "it wasn't that you _couldn't_ kill him, you just _didn't?_ "

The blonde shook her head, her eyes suddenly flowing with tears, "I couldn't kill him because he's not worth killing. He didn't do anything wrong!"

"Lucy, stop talking like that." The man was upset, but didn't want the woman to be punished. "People will label you a sympathizer, just like your parents!"

The maiden flinched, letting his last few words echo in her mind. She didn't recognize the dark tone of her voice when she asked, "what did you say?"

"Nothing," the white haired man averted his gaze, walking towards her, "I said nothing that concerns you. Now, where is the horn of END?"

"What really happened with my parents?!" The maiden noted the surprised look in his eyes through the small glasses adorning his face. He assumed he could control her like he always had, but she was through with being belittled and manipulated.

"W-what?" The Cardinal's shaky voice only served to validate her doubt.

"You heard me! How did they die?" The blonde was not going to accept the same thing he told her when she was younger. Natsu showed no signs of evil, so she had a hard time believing he was truly capable of harming someone. Plus Lapointe called her parents sympathizers, and according to the church rules, sympathizers were put to death.

"END-"

"No! You're lying! Who really killed them?!" The maiden was fed up with his lies.

"Lucy, you're overreacting! Just calm down so we can discuss-"

She slammed her foot down before screaming, "NO! Tell me who killed my parents or I'm leaving!"

"You can't leave!" Lapointe quickly shut the idea down, "you have nowhere to go!"

"That's not true!" She shouted as a memory flooded her mind.

 _It was just two weeks into their journey together. Natsu spoke about the wizard guild he belonged to, and how they accepted anyone who wanted to join. They cared about friends and family, not about past deeds or issues. He even told her she should come with him when she finished the mission, but at the time she just laughed at the thought._

Now, she had options. It pained her to think of giving up her church life, but she couldn't live in a place that spread lies without proof.

Really the thought of going to Fairy Tail created anxiety for the young woman. She was unfamiliar with the place and the people there, but she knew one thing.

Natsu would be there.

The blonde didn't know if he'd want to see her again, but she had to try. She wanted to see him again, so badly it hurt her aching heart. She would gladly get down on her knees and beg the dragon slayer to forgive her for how she reacted to him the last time she saw him. She would do anything to get her friend back.

Even leave the church.

The more Lapointe spoke, the more she came to understand that Natsu wasn't who they said he was. He was a kind, decent guy. Yeah he was a little reckless at times, and a bit over the top, but that's what she loved about him.

 _'Love...'_

Who was she kidding. She loved him to death, and she wouldn't let anyone or any mission come between her and the dragon slayer. He knew about her plans to kill END for a while now, and still didn't try to harm her.

Natsu could be trusted.

Everyone else, _well_ , she didn't know...

"I'm leaving," Lucy said, grip tightening on the strap of her bag. "Don't try to find me or END."

She turned around, but a hand caught her hair, jerking her back. She let out a shriek as her hands flew up, attempting to relieve the pain from her scalp.

"You can't just leave Lucy, you have-" His harsh voice stopped, letting the only sound heard in the room her sobs. "What is that?"

"What's what?" She tried pulling away, but his hold on her didn't budge.

"This!" He stabbed his finger to her skin, causing her to wince, "this thing on your neck!"

Realization hit Lucy like a train. _'Natsu's bite!'_

She had forgotten about the bruised and bloody mark he left on her. After she cleaned it up in the train's bathroom, she let it slip her mind, not wanting to remember his touches at the time. She felt ashamed for what her gods must have thought of her, but now she didn't care.

All she knew right now was that she needed to get out of that house, away from Lapointe. She struggled against his hold, trying hard to free herself from his grasp. That's when it dawned on her that she wasn't some helpless woman. She had power!

Her hands abandoned her hair in favor of grabbing her pouch attached to her belt. She grabbed the golden key that belonged to her hairdressing spirit. "Open! Gate of the giant crab! Cancer!"

The spirit showed up in an instant, crab legs in an offensive position while his scissors were snipping. "What can I do for you, ebi?"

"Help!" She shrieked as Lapointe tightened the hold on her hair.

"No problem!" The giant crab spirit acted without thinking, snipping away at the locks the Cardinal held, freeing her and leaving her with a _really_ bad haircut.

The blonde didn't care in the slightest how she looked right now as she took off towards the door, yelling her gratitude at Cancer who quickly disappeared.

Lucy opened the front door, taking one step out before Lapointe's hand wrapped around her waist.

"You're not going anywhere! I know what's on your neck! You're a harlot!" He tried pulling her back in, but her hands clutched the door frame with everything she had.

"Let go of me!"

"No," he shouted, painfully digging his fingers into her gut. "You have to be punished for your sins! I can't allow you to leave!"

By now the two screaming adults caught the attention of the nearby maidens and monks. Several gathered around in an attempt to discover what the fuss was all about.

"Maiden Lucy! Cardinal Lapointe! What is the meaning of this?"

The two struggling against each other looked up to meet the troubled gaze of the Archbishop.

"Sir! Please help me!" The blonde cried out, holding her hand out for assistance.

"Lapointe! What is going on?" The short man asked as he glanced between the two.

"Maiden Lucy has sinned! She abandoned her mission, she has _laid_ with a demon!" The white haired man shouted, causing a round of gasps from the crowd.

"I didn't lay with anyone!" Lucy left it at that, not wanting to confess exactly what Natsu and her did in the forest... or in the hotel room. Technically she shouldn't have slept in the same bed with a man, but at the time she decided not to care.

"Explain your marks!" The man holding her used his free hand to tug her hair away from her neck, exposing the bruised flesh for the world to see.

The Archbishop shook his head slowly, disappointment radiating from his body. "Maiden Lucy, why would you lie with a demon?"

"I didn't lay with him! We didn't have sex!"

More gasps could be heard around her, and she realized she wasn't seen as the victim here. She was a harlot, a sinner, and a _sympathizer_. She knew the punishment, but she was not ready to accept that fate. She had no intentions on dying today.

The blonde kicked her leg backwards, landing the shot right between Lapointe's thighs. The man let out a pathetic yelp as he fell to the ground, releasing Lucy in the process.

She wasted no time, running away from the house, only to stop when he saw she had no means for escape. The maidens and monks blocked her path, surrounding her as they waited for the Archbishop to give an order.

 _The_ order.

Murmurs started as she began to panic. Her fingers brushed over her keys, wishing she had one the could fly. She had enough power to take them out by force, but many of the people around here were innocent. They'd never harmed her, except maybe with their cruel words from time to time.

That didn't mean she wished them pain.

Tears flooded her eyes as desperation set in. She held onto her bag like a lifeline, wishing she could escape without violence. When the Archbishop spoke, she realized that wasn't an option.

"Seize maiden Lucy! She will face punishment for her sins!"

Punishment meant death.

Which meant she _had_ to fight.

The blonde stopped thinking as she grabbed her whip, flinging it back and cracking it in front of the head of the church. She aimed for the ground in front of his feet, barely missing his body. It was meant as a warning, and she hoped it was received as such.

The Archbishop fell backwards, landing on his butt. He was shocked that someone would defy him, and fear struck as he saw her bring her whip back again, ready for another attack.

The leader was about to call everything off, valuing his life a lot more than her potential punishment, but it never came as Lucy was suddenly rendered helpless.

Lapointe had recovered from the trauma caused to his groin, and grabbed Lucy's body. A nearby monk quickly ran up, taking her whip and key pouch, while another maiden took the bag around Lucy's arm.

"Let go of me! Give me back my stuff!" Lucy twisted her body, trying to get free. Her magic was decent, but there wasn't anything she could do without her keys or whip. She writhed in his grasp, begging for freedom.

"I'm sorry Lucy, but we can not allow you to leave as you are. You must be cleansed first."

"Cl-cleansed?!" The blonde fought harder, knowing she didn't want to suffer a horrific death by fire.

"It's what you deserve for your sins," the Archbishop looked past her to meet the gaze of Lapointe. "She is no longer a maiden of Zentopia, so you may begin the cleanse process."

The blonde shut her eyes so tight, she saw white spots through the blackness. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. She gave the church ten years of her life, and now it was all for nothing because they plan on killing her by fire.

The ex-maiden vaguely heard Lapointe shouting orders, telling people to get the stuff ready. Apparently they weren't even going to do it where they're supposed to. Outside in front of the home she grew up in was fine enough for them. She laughed despite the pain and humiliation she bared, knowing she wasn't good enough for a proper cleanse.

Lucy gave one last attempt to struggle, shocked when a fist came down on her head, nearly knocking her unconscious. She might prefer that, since she wouldn't be able to feel herself burn alive.

The celestial wizard cried out, her feet digging into the ground to try to escape. Nothing worked, and she felt powerless against the church, against the man who raised her. Lapointe had promised to take care of her, and now look at him. Willingly burning her because she made some decisions for herself and not them. It was a cruel fate, but if it meant she died with her own convictions, then she had to accept it.

She lowered her head when she heard them set up. She didn't want to see what they were about to do. It was going to be bad enough dying slowly and painfully, why torture herself in the process?

Lucy let out a long sigh, then whispered to herself, "I'm sorry mama, papa... I'm sorry for everything they did to you." She stared at the ground, her sight landing on her boots. Buying them was the first choice she made for herself when she left the church to start her mission. It seemed fitting that they be the last thing she sees before she died. Although she did wish she had one last look at-

"I'm sorry, Natsu..." she muttered, wishing she never left him, "...for everything."

That's when she felt _it_. The immense heat that seemed to swallow her whole. It surrounded her, warming her body at an alarming rate. Her boots started to look blurry as she realized she wasn't on fire... The ground around her was!

Her eyes shot up just as the people around her started to scream. No one was hurt by the fire that she saw, but its presence brought on questions.

She glanced around, seeing maidens and monks running away from the area. She noticed one of the monks holding a torch which was meant for her cleanse, but he was also running away.

Lucy opened her mouth to ask what the hell was going on, but she was cut off by a loud roar, followed by more fire.

The blonde felt the grip around her loosen, and she took advantage by slipping through Lapointe's hold. She ran away from him, but she was quickly tackled to the ground.

"You're not going anywhere!" The Cardinal spoke in a sadistic tone. "Not until you _burn!_ "

"Get off of me!" She tried to breathe, but his weight was pushing the air from her lungs.

"No! I've lost too much because of you! I'm ready to end this," his voice faltered as she felt something cold against her neck. It brushed against her skin, and she realized it was very sharp.

Lapointe held a knife to Lucy's throat, deciding that she was dying one way or another. He pressed the blade against her flesh, preparing to slice the skin, when a horrid voice yelled at him.

 **"LET LUCY GO!"**

The blonde jerked her head, trying to find the source of that voice, of _his_ voice.

She saw a blur above her, before the weight of Lapointe's body was lifted from her, allowing her to properly breathe.

The ex-maiden flipped around, gasping from what she saw.

Natsu was there, or at least, _END_ was.

He had jumped on Lapointe, hovering over his body while his blood-red eyes scanned the face. Recognition flashed through his dark eyes, remembering the Cardinal's visage from ten years ago. _He_ was the man who tricked Natsu, and he'd fucking pay.

Lucy couldn't see END's face, but she had a clear view of the back of him. The demon's wings were withdrawn, tucked closely to his back. His pants were ripped, making room for a wildly swinging tail.

She saw his horns protruding from his pink hair. Blood stained the right side of his body, alarming Lucy. _'He still hasn't healed?'_

She remembered the spot where his broken horn stuck out was bleeding, but she assumed it would stop. _'How long has he been bleeding for?'_

 **"You hurt Lucy!"** Once again Natsu's voice came out distorted, but this time is sounded jagged, rough, and angry. He hadn't used that tone with her the last time she saw him, and she realized this must be the _real_ END. The one they spoke of, who was bloodthirsty and brutal.

She could see how this END would be a killer.

Her heart dropped when she thought, _'maybe... maybe he did have something to do with my parent's death after all?'_

Lucy snapped from her thoughts when Lapointe whimpered, "I-I'm sorry!" The white haired man was trying to get away, which only seemed to piss Natsu off.

The demon stuck his long, sharp claws into the man's chest, feeling the warm blood pool around his fingers.

Lapointe screamed from the agonizing pain, pleading and begging for mercy. Lucy held her breath, terrified of this Natsu. This wasn't the man she knew, this was a _demon_.

 **"I should kill you!"** It would be so easy to rip his throat open and tear up his insides. The thought pleased the demonic dragon who was beyond simple rage.

"P-please! Don't, don't kill me!" The man felt a wetness on his inner thighs, realizing that he peed himself. Natsu let out a laugh at the man's fear, loving the power he held over this pitiful human.

Lucy almost screamed. She wanted to get through the demon and speak to Natsu. She didn't want him to go down this path of darkness, because if he did, then he'd be just as bad as they said he was.

However, her voice choked up, rendering her speechless. Natsu surprised her when he growled at his prey beneath him. He sounded like a bloodthirsty beast, ready to destroy the weeping man.

 **"I said I** _ **should**_ **kill you,"** the volatile demon snarled, baring his sharp fangs as his lips curled back.

 **"You're not worth it,"** the demon turned his face, red eyes glaring at Lucy. **"I won't become what they say I am, Luce,"** the growling creature finally stood up, letting the blood drip from his claws and land on Lapointe's face. He shook his hand, ridding his scales of the crimson liquid.

The demonic dragon sauntered over to Lucy, who was visibly shaking from what she just witnessed. **"Lucy,"** his voice was still distorted, but she could hear the lack of anger as he spoke. **"Let me take you away from here, please."**

Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but END quickly cut her off, fearing another rejection. **"I promise I'm not a bad guy. I really... I really love you, Luce. More than I've ever loved anyone else,"** the demon balled his clawed hands into shaky fists, **"I don't know what I'd do without you now... Please, don't leave me again."**

END had tears streaming from his dark eyes, an anguished expression on his face. He put his heart and life on the line for her, knowing today might be the last day he breathes. He didn't care, as long as he had a chance at being with Lucy... No matter how slim.

The ex-maiden tore her eyes away from the crying demon to glance over at the man who raised her, the man who _lied_ to her. She saw the desperation in Lapointe's eyes as he outstretched his arm to her. Lucy just shook her head, then met END's gaze. Despite the fear she felt looking at the dark, red and black eyes, she knew she could trust him. He wasn't a killer. He was just Natsu, no matter what he looked or sounded like.

"I'll never leave you again," she said, smiling at the demonic man she loved. She placed her hand to his cheek, feeling the immense heat blaring from his skin and the rough scales under her fingers. "Just get me out of here."

The demon smiled - _though it was still frightening with his mouth full of sharp teeth_. He walked past her, bending down to grab her bag, her keys, and her whip, then handed them to the blonde.

 **"Hold on,"** that was the only warning she received before he wrapped his arms around her. He prepared to jump when a strangled voice called out from the ground.

"Wait," Lapointe yelled as he tried to sit up "if you leave, you can never come back!"

Natsu's eyes flitted to hers, searching for any hesitation. Lucy shook her head, resting her cheek against his chest. She spoke in such a soft voice that only he was able to hear, "take me to Fairy Tail."

He didn't say anything, he just let out a small grunt before he jumped up high. His massive wings spread, flapping and carrying them into the air.

Natsu held Lucy close to his body, surrounding her with his warmth since the air rapidly grew cold the higher they soared. The blonde didn't care about the temperature, she was just elated to be leaving the church with her life, and with the man who came to her rescue.

Tears streamed down her face as she counted her blessings. "Thank you, Natsu," the ex-maiden doubted he could hear her over the roaring wind, but he surprised her yet again.

 **"Don't mention it, Luce."**

* * *

 **Thank you for all the favs/follows! And thank you to those who reviewed:** **FairyTailanimelover12, mikethepokemaster(x2), FlameDragonHime, Person, Kauia, Crimsonlink310, & Guest!**

 **See you later today with a bonus chapter: Truth. I felt like there needed to be some light shed on this story.**


	8. Truth

**Bonus Chapter: Truth**

Lucy slowly opened her eyes, relieved they didn't sting from wind once she woke up. She could feel herself laying on solid ground, and not high in the sky like she had been when she fell asleep last.

The blonde began to stretch her limbs as she tried to sit up. Her back was stiff, and her neck protested any movement. It was the consequence of being carried through Fiore by the demonic dragon known as END.

"Mornin'!" The cheerful voice of Natsu rang in her ears. She was pleased that he had changed back into his human form, which lacked the gruesome appearance his demonic side held.

"Good morning to you too, where are we?" The celestial wizard stared up at the sky, seeing some sunlight peak from between the trees. _'Great,'_ she thought sarcastically, _'we're in another forest.'_

Lucy was sick and tired of being in the wooded areas, but she understood Natsu's reasons behind it. He could safely land and hide behind the trees from curious eyes.

See, in order to travel across Fiore in record time, he had to fly. In order to fly, he had to be in his END form. Of course that posed problems. He suffered constant pain, due to the incessant bleeding from his head.

Another problem was he attracted unwanted attention, but it was a lot faster traveling this way than by foot or train. She almost laughed when Natsu said he had a bad case of motion sickness. It might have an added effect of humor due to Natsu's distorted voice when he said it.

"We're not that far from Magnolia," Natsu informed, bringing her away from her thoughts. "I might've been able to make it there without stopping, but I got kinda tired," he put his hand behind his head, showing her a sheepish smile.

"That's alright," Lucy assured, "I see you washed up."

The last time the ex-maiden saw Natsu, he was in the air with blood dripping down his body. She looked down at herself, checking to make sure none got on her person.

"There's a lake a little past that big rock behind you. I tried to wash it all out," the pink haired man let out a sigh. "I wish it didn't happen every time I change."

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that," Lucy said, using their resting time to her advantage.

Natsu raised a pink brow as she shuffled towards her bag. The dragon slayer watched as she fumbled through her stuff. Her hand brushed over the heavy object she was looking for. Her body tensed as she brought it out, unsure how Natsu would react.

The man's gaze flitted from her face, to the item in her hands. His green eyes widened in shock. Trepidation and relief filled his heart, making him feel sick and happy all at the same time.

"Where did you get that?" He didn't bother asking for permission when he gently grabbed it from her hands. It was _his_ after all. Lucy made no effort to resist when he took it, her heart fluttering from the lighthearted tone in his voice.

The dragon slayer turned it in his hands, inspecting every small scratch or jagged edge. "It's my horn!"

"It is," the blonde confirmed, her teeth seeking out her bottom lip to chew. "I'm sorry I have it."

"No," the pink haired man shook his head. "I'm glad you have it. I thought for sure it'd been lost forever," his smile was genuine, and caused her heart to clench. He looked so elated just to receive something that rightfully belonged to him, after countless years of having it hidden at the church.

"Why _do_ you have it though?" The dragon slayer gripped the horn tightly, glad when he found it just as hard and steady as it'd been ten years ago.

"It was part of my mission," Lucy mumbled, her bottom lip turning red from her biting. She released the abused flesh so her words could come out clear. "I was...supposed to..." She was on the verge of tears, a frown pulling at her face.

"It's okay," the man sighed. "I promise I won't be upset."

"You...say that now..." Lucy shifted her body until she was facing away from him. It helped to temporarily detach her from the emotional burden of the situation.

"I promise," he assured.

A small sniffle sounded from the blonde, before she nodded and said, "after I completed my mission," she paused, "I was supposed to, cut off the rest of the horn that matched this one."

The dragon slayer instinctively slapped a hand over where his damaged horn usually sprouted. He felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of that type pain again. "Ouch, why would they make you do that?"

"To prove I slayed... END..."

"Oh," his voice sounded flat. "Well, at least you gave it back." He fiddled with it in his large hands a bit more before adding, "I may actually be able to get it back on."

The blonde glanced over to him, "how?"

"Wendy," the pink haired man explained. "She's a healer, so she may be able to reattach it."

"I hope so," Lucy said, sincerity in her voice.

"Me too," the dragon slayer agreed before adding, "then maybe it won't hurt so much."

"What won't hurt?"

"My head," Natsu started to explain, "when I transform, my left horn comes out fine, but my right one is broken, so it cuts me every time it grows. Nothing I do can stop the bleeding, so I just feel pain and light headed until I change back."

"If you feel that way then why are we traveling to Magnolia like this? We can just walk," she didn't like causing him unnecessary pain.

The pink haired man shook his head, "nah. It's fine after a while, since I get used to it."

Lucy grimaced from the thought of what Natsu must deal with just because the church had his horn. Then it dawned on her that they had to get it off of him somehow. "Hey Natsu, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he said without hesitation.

"How did they take your horn away?"

The dragon slayer groused, "I don't think you wanna hear about it."

"I do," she found herself saying, a burning curiosity layered over her fear of the truth. She calmed herself down before adding, "but only if you're okay with telling me. I don't want to force you."

"It's not that, it's just pretty bad. I don't wanna upset you. The only people I've told is Igneel and Gramps," he informed.

When Lucy cocked her head, he explained himself, "Gramps is the master of Fairy Tail. He's really old."

The blonde let out a giggle, loving how casual Natsu was with the leader of his guild. "I'd really like to know," she admitted, hoping he'd feel comfortable sharing his story with her.

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you." The dragon slayer scooted closer to her, until their thighs brushed against one another. "I'll start by saying I wasn't always a demon. I was just a normal human until the age of five. My birth parents died in a fire... _Well_ , I guess I died with them too."

Lucy gasped, wondering what on Earthland he was talking about. _'Natsu died?'_

"I have this older brother. He's a genius when it comes to dark magic. Or at least he _was_. He's gotten a lot better over the years, and he quit black magic a long time ago." The dragon slayer sighed before elaborating, "after I died, he used forbidden magic to resurrect me. I was reborn, but not as a human. He had to tie my soul to something in order to bring me back, so he created a book."

"Book?" It wasn't that she doubted what he was saying, it was just a bizarre twist to the story. One she hadn't been expecting.

"Yeah," the pink haired man nodded, "it's a book for demons. It's locked away at the guild now. Only my brother Zeref, Igneel, and Gramps know about it... _Well_ , I guess you know too."

She was astonished he'd give her such privileged information. "Are you sure you can trust me with this?"

"I know I can," his tone of voice was strong, unwavering.

Lucy's heart warmed at the thought of his faith in her. It was a refreshing feeling, one that she wouldn't take lightly.

"Anyway, when he brought me back, I became a demon. I didn't choose this life, but I'm thankful to be alive," the dragon slayer thought of all the adventures he would've missed out on had he died in that fire. He'd never meet all his friends at the guild... He'd never meet Lucy.

"I am too," she found herself muttering, earning a smile from the pink haired man.

However, his smile was short-lived, since it faltered when he spoke again. "When I was fifteen years old, my demonic blood forced me to transform. I couldn't control it, and it started getting out of hand fast."

He chuckled despite the tense atmosphere, "I remember one time I was walking through town and my wings just sprouted out... It was really embarrassing."

They shared a small laugh, knowing this was the calm before the storm. "That's when I went to Zentopia."

Lucy furrowed her brows, "why'd you go there?"

"I heard a rumor that said they could cleanse a demon," he shook his head as his memory came back to him. "I guess we have different definitions of the word..."

Lucy knew exactly what he meant, since they tried to _cleanse_ her as well.

"It was pure luck that I wound up at your church, considering there's so many all over Fiore. I talked to the Archbishop, and he insured they could purify my demon blood," his fists tightened, remembering all the bullshit that tumbled from their silver tongues.

He just wanted to be cured of his transformations, so he could live a normal life. They promised they'd help him, but they were all liars.

Natsu let out a deep sigh, making her tense. "They left me alone with two people. I was told they were going to look after me until they could get the stuff needed for the ritual, but it was a trick. Once we were alone, the couple told me I should run. That the church planned on killing me. I didn't believe them at first, until I saw it with my own eyes."

Lucy hung on every word he spoke, so he didn't bother pausing. He cringed, "a few of the officials from the church burst into their home just as they were trying to sneak me out. They were caught, and... And they were killed. It was so fast. Just quick slashes across their necks, and then they dropped. I tried to run to them, but a man grabbed me, pulling me away from that house."

His right eye flickered wildly with scarlet flakes. "I still remember hearing a child screaming after we left, even after we made it back to the church. Sometimes it's a curse having such good hearing..."

Natsu let the horrible memory wash over him before he continued. "I never knew who the man was until I came to find you. That man, who hurt you. He's the one who grabbed me."

"Lapointe?" Lucy asked, knowing he _had_ to be involved somehow. He's been in charge of a lot of church activities over the years, so his participation wasn't surprising.

The dragon slayer nodded, "I guess. I never got a name from him... Just that he was a Cardinal."

"That's him."

Natsu didn't seem to hear her as he spoke, "he took me to the church, locked me up in their basement. While they got the stuff they needed to kill me, I accidentally transformed."

"All the way?" Lucy said, imagining the sight of his END form on a fifteen year old body.

He shook his head, "no. Only my horns and wings grew. I didn't really have any control over it at the time."

He paused, a twisted frown adorning his troubled face, "they took that as an opportunity to... cut part of my horn off. I don't know why they didn't just start at the base. Honestly I think they were just having fun torturing me, because all I remember is screaming and pain."

Lucy felt her eyes prick. She couldn't imagine being tortured at that age. She couldn't fathom what it must feel like to have a part of your body cut off. It sounded miserable, horrible. He answered the unspoken question, making her cry.

Natsu's voice shook as he continued, "th-they... sawed off the tip. It was the worst pain I've ever felt in my entire life. After they cut it off, some other man came and took it away. That was the last time I saw it. I didn't get a chance to rest before they went for the other one..." He paused, trying to regulate his breathing. He hadn't realized he was panicking until now. "I guess that's when I lost control..."

"What d-do you mean?" Lucy struggled to force the words out. The story continued to get more grotesque the further he explained. She didn't know how much more she could handle.

"I blacked out," Natsu informed. "When I came back to, the man was on the ground and my hands were free from their chains. I checked to make sure I didn't kill him, because I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I took someone's life. Luckily he was still breathing, so I ran."

"You didn't try looking for your horn?" Out of all the questions she could have asked, she settled on that one. It seemed the safest.

Natsu shook his head, "no. I just wanted to get the hell outta there. I was in so much pain that I couldn't even use my wings. I ended up running as far away as I could. I just kept moving until I made it back to Fairy Tail, vowing I'd never deal with the church again."

"I'm sorry that happened to you." Lucy cried, "I really thought they were telling me the truth about you. That you..."

"I know," the dragon slayer recognized her as another victim of Zentopia. "I know they say bad things about me, but there's nothing I can do to stop them. Most times when I encounter the church, I end up getting hurt."

"You've had other run ins with them before?" Lucy peered over to Natsu, noticing the red flicker in his right eye.

"Unfortunately. Sometimes they recognize me, sometimes they don't. I try to avoid them if at all possible," it was a dangerous life for Natsu, since Zentopia churches were scattered throughout Fiore. He considered leaving the continent a few times, but that would mean leaving Magnolia, and his friends. He couldn't bring himself to do that.

"Can I ask you something else?" Lucy's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah," he was still willing to answer her, but he'd grown tired from reliving all those horrid memories. He could answer a few more questions, but then he'd have to end this discussion, only to resume it another day.

Besides, he was supposed to be using this time to rest so he could fly them back to Magnolia as soon as possible. He just wanted to go home, and not be stuck in a forest anymore.

Lucy chewed on her lip before asking, "who were the two people trying to help you?"

The dragon slayer let out a defeated breath. He'd remember their names for the rest of his life, no matter how hard he tried to forget. They were etched into his mind, clinging to his soul like an anchor, keeping him from being completely carefree. "Layla and Jude...," Natsu said, "... Heartfilia..."

It became quiet after he finished talking. Lucy processed the words he just said, analyzing them for a hidden meaning... Anything that would disconnect herself from what he said. She found no such hope, only the despair from the truth assaulting her mind.

The blonde couldn't hold in her sorrow any longer. The tears streamed down her red face, but not from his story anymore. It was because of her parent's fate. She curled forward, pressing her forehead against her knees, letting the sobs rack her body.

Natsu immediately tried to comfort her, pulling her into a tight hug. "What's wrong?" The pink haired man nuzzled his nose against the crown of her head. "Luce, talk to me..."

She shook, not wanting to speak, just wanting to let her tears out. She thought for years that END killed her parents, and maybe in some sick, twisted way he did. If it wasn't for Natsu, her parents wouldn't have been labeled sympathizers, and they'd still be alive. She would have been raised by them, cared by them, loved by them. All those lonely nights she bared wouldn't have existed, only peace.

The ex-maiden shook her head, letting those vile thoughts slip her mind. Her parents made a choice, and that was to help someone who was in need. They sacrificed themselves so Natsu could have a real life, and that meant something to her.

The dragon slayer clearly led a full and happy life, surrounded by friends and many adventures. This carefree man lived because her parents were kindhearted until the end.

The blonde buried her face further into her legs, cutting off her airflow. Calling Natsu a carefree man at this point seemed foolish. He was anything but. Deep down she knew he was hurting, and that was from the demon blood in his veins, and the horrific way the church planned on 'curing' him.

"Luce, please," she vaguely heard him say, but she couldn't concentrate on him when her mind was spinning. How many things in her life were just lies? Did Natsu and her share this cursed fate because they did something wrong? She lost her parents, and he lost his horn - _almost dying in the process_. It wasn't fair.

Life wasn't fair.

The cruel reality of it all set in as she pulled away from her suffocating flesh. Her eyes were red and swollen, nose runny and mouth watery. She felt disgusting, but a stronger part of her didn't care. She just wanted to stop feeling this pain.

Or perhaps, she could share this pain with Natsu, just like he shared his pain with her?

The dragon slayer's warm arms around her and the calming words he whispered were the only things keeping her sane at the moment. She could trust him with this.

"Na-Natsu..." She cried out, hating that this was their reality.

"Yeah?" He whispered, warming his body to sooth her, "I'm here Lucy, what's wrong?"

"M-my m-mom's name...was La-Layla..."

The dragon slayer's body tensed at the mention of that name. He wanted to say something, _anything_ , but he couldn't bring himself to push out the words. He just sat there, listening to the love of his life shatter his heart.

"My dad... He w-was Jude..."

Natsu felt her body go limp in his arms, surrendering to the sadness and heartache she felt. He pulled her closer, not wanting her to suffer alone.

Guilt struck him hard, because he was the reason they died. If they never tried to save him, he would be dead and they'd be breathing.

"M-my last n-name... is H-Heartfilia..."

The dragon slayer's heart throbbed, wondering if Lucy blamed him for her parent's death. He couldn't fault her if she did. He didn't know how he'd ever get her to trust him again. To _love_ him again.

"I know it's not your fault," Lucy finally said after minutes of silence, unknowingly answering the question bouncing around in his mind. "My parents wouldn't want someone to die who never deserved it... And their sacrifice wasn't in vain."

"What do you mean by that?" Natsu asked, a skeptical tone laced with his rough voice.

"They obviously wanted you to live, and from what I see, that's exactly what you're doing. You don't hide from the world... _Well_ , except right now, but that's different," she snorted, a half-laugh accompanying the sound.

A small smile graced her lips, "you live life to the fullest. That's the best way you could honor their death."

"I'm still sorry Luce," the pink haired man hugged her tighter, "if I never went to the church-"

"Shhhh, it's alright. I understand why you went," Lucy couldn't blame Natsu for the death of her parents, even if she wanted to. It wasn't their fault, it wasn't his fault. It wasn't even her fault, which seemed to lift some unknown weight from her shoulders. She didn't know she'd been carrying it for years, thinking somehow she was responsible for her parent's death.

It was a comforting feeling, accepting her situation and deciding to move on. Lucy loved her parents, and they loved her. Sometimes messed up things happen, but there was nothing she could do about it.

The blonde sighed as she thought about what her church did, "I just feel bad for all the other demons who tried to seek out help, only to be killed by Zentopia."

"From what I've seen, not all church people are bad," Natsu's thumbs rubbed soothing circles on her arms, hoping she'd believe him. He actually knew a few people from a Zentopia church that were decent.

"That's true," Lucy muttered. "They may have been misguided like me, but some were still good. I know I'm going to miss my life a bit. The church is all I've ever known, and I feel a bit lost without it."

"I have an idea," the dragon slayer placed a kiss on her golden hair, "you can go to the Kardia Cathedral."

"What's that?" Lucy said, her tears already drying on her face.

"It's a church in Magnolia. It's run by Zentopia, but they're a lot more peaceful than the one you were at. They learned to coexist with good demons, and haven't bothered me once despite knowing the truth about me."

"Kardia Cathedral..." She tested the words on her lips. "I think that might be a good idea."

"Yeah, they're definitely not a cult," the dragon slayer said without thinking. The blonde tensed in his arms, alarming Natsu, "ehhh, I didn't mean to offend you! I just, well. I'm not sure how else to say it..."

"It's fine," Lucy loosened her body, leaning into his touch, "shit happens."

The dragon slayer let out a laugh, delighted by the way she sounded cussing. It was cute, and funny. "Do you think you're going to be alright?"

Lucy nodded, "it will take time, but I know I'll be fine. I'm stronger than I look."

"I know that's true," the pink haired man placed another kiss to her head.

A feeling of serenity filled in the silence around them, causing Lucy to hum and Natsu to breathe easy. Of course it was short-lived after Lucy asked, "do you think we should take Zentopia down?"

Natsu took a deep breath, before saying, "I'm not really sure. I want to, but they take in a lot of orphans. Some of the churches really help people, while some just try to eradicate evil, no matter if the evil is really there or imagined."

He continued after a few silent seconds. "It's hard to tell which ones are the cults and which aren't. If you want to though, I'll help you. I just want to be with you Luce, to make you happy, because you make me happy. No matter what we do, I'll be there for you."

Lucy nudged at his arms, signaling him to release her from his grasp. He feared he said the wrong thing, but relief flooded him when she shifted until her body faced him. It was her turn to hug him, as she threw her arms around him and rested her forehead against his shoulder.

"Maybe we should just get to Fairy Tail, then decide what we should do." A grin surfaced as she thought about what he told her Fairy Tail was like. She held back a giggle as she said, "besides, I've been curious about these 'missions' you go on."

A large smile grew on the dragon slayer's face, "I'm sure you'd love them. You ready to go?"

"Yeah," she smiled, scared but excited about their new adventure.

"Oh, but first," the pink haired man said before tugging on a jagged lock of blonde hair, "you may want to fix this. You look _really_ weird now."

The ex-maiden's hands went to her hair, remembering that she had it cut to escape Lapointe. "Darn it, I'll have to call out Cancer."

"So he can give you a normal haircut?" Natsu asked with a cheeky grin.

"No," she said, pulling out the giant crab's golden key, "so he can grow it back."

"Huh?" The dragon slayer cocked his head as he observed her calling out her spirit.

The sharply dressed man appeared out of thin air and proceeded to use his magic on her damaged hair. It took only a few minutes before her golden blonde hair returned to it's original length.

Natsu watched in wonder, then asked if he could have his hair grown out too. Lucy gave him a pointed look before shaking her head, "hell no!"

* * *

 **This wasn't one of the prompts for NALU week, but the story really needed some clarity. I hope no one minds this bonus chapter. It won't take away from the daily updates. Let me know if there are still some holes in the story. I tried really hard to tie up the loose ends.**

 **Thank you for all the favs/follows! And thank you to those who reviewed:** **fairyblackheart, ToastedWeirdBrain, Crimsonlink310, FlameDracoZ, & FlameDragonHime.**

 **Let me know what you think! I'll see you tomorrow with Day Six: Climax**

 **PS: in case anyone was interested, I prefer Natsu with his short hair. His long hair was nice, but I like it better the original way. (or short with bangs...) What do** _ **you**_ **prefer?**


	9. Climax

**Warning: over 7,000 words. This chapter contains 88.42% smut. (yes I calculated it) :P**

* * *

 **Day Six: Climax**

It was late at night when the duo finally reached the town called Magnolia. Natsu decided to stop in yet another forest, wanting to wash up before they arrived at Fairy Tail since he was covered in blood yet again from his transformation.

Or at least, that's what Lucy _thought_.

After he bathed, he went back to where he left her. She was curled up on a bed of leaves, resting since she was awake for most of the fly over. He scooped her up, careful to not jostle her as he started walking towards his destination.

The blonde woke up a few moments before he reached a small clearing. "You're up?" Natsu asked, an eager smile resting on his lips.

She yawned, brushing her face against his exposed chest, "I guess so."

The smile on his face grew wide, "good, because I have a surprise for you!"

"You do?" She asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Yup," the dragon slayer said right before he stopped moving.

Lucy shifted, looking in the direction of Natsu's gaze, finding it landing on a cottage in the middle of the forest. A sign in the front read **Natsu & Happy **in big bold letters.

"Is this...?"

"Yup! It's my house. You wanna see inside?" The pink haired man didn't wait for an answer as he was already walking to the front door. He set her down, knowing it'd be difficult to open the door with her in his arms.

The blonde was shocked that the door wasn't even locked, since he just twisted the handle and opened the house without struggle.

"Come on in," Natsu said, pushing the door so it could accommodate them.

"Okay," Lucy smiled. She was excited to see the kind of place Natsu lived in... That was, until she actually went inside. "Wh-what happened? Did you get robbed?"

"What do you mean?" The pink haired man looked around the disorganized house, seeing nothing wrong.

"N-never mind..." She deadpanned, realizing this is just what his house looks like normally. She'd have to teach him something about house cleaning later.

The blonde dropped her bag, whip, and belt containing her keys next to his door, knowing she wouldn't need them anytime soon. Wanting to relax, she slipped off her boots and socks, letting her toes wiggle from their newfound freedom.

"I'm glad Happy's not home," he said casually as he stepped closer to her.

"Why would that be a good thing?" She thought he said Happy was his best friend. "Didn't you-"

Her words were cut short when Natsu pressed his hot lips against hers, effectively silencing her.

The blonde jolted at the sudden kiss, but made no effort to remove him from her. Honestly she'd been wanting to kiss him again, but she feared being that bold. She knew she was no longer a holy maiden, so the strings attached to the church were now cut. She was free to choose what she wanted to do with her body, and right now, she wanted to be intimate with Natsu again.

Her hands cupped his cheeks, pulling him closer as she opened her mouth. The dragon slayer wasted no time deepening the kiss. Lucy tasted so sweet on his tongue, and he had to taste all of her.

He became so caught up in her deliciousness, that he didn't even notice when his body pressed hers against the wall. That didn't stop him from taking advantage of this new position. His hands came down, grabbing the back of her thighs to hoist her up.

Lucy's legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, not wanting to fall. The dragon slayer wouldn't let her fall though, since his strong arms easily held her up.

The blonde's hands moved. One shifted in his fluffy pink hair, while the other cupped the back of his neck. She moaned when he sucked on her tongue, sending wonderful currents through her body.

The woman bucked her hips in response to the sensations traveling through her, and that's when she felt his growing erection between them.

She didn't get a chance to really explore his body the other times they were intimate, so she tried to focus on him rather than her.

Her hips moved, rolling against his, causing him to grunt into her mouth. Their eyes were closed, letting the pleasure intensify.

The dragon slayer started moving his own body in response to hers, loving the small reactions she gave. His body was scorching compared to hers, but it stemmed from the cravings he had for her. He wanted Lucy, so badly.

Judging by the way she was now grinding against him, he guessed she wanted him too.

Natsu's rough hands kneaded her thighs as he bucked against her. Lucy whimpered from his ministrations, wanting him to stop and continue at the same time. It felt _good_... almost too good. She didn't know if she deserved to feel so amazing after everything they just went through, but if Natsu was okay with it, she was too.

Her hands left his head as they traveled down to her shirt. She grabbed the zipper, tugging it downwards.

She intended to remove the shirt, but the zipper got caught halfway down. She pulled on it, but all her efforts were useless. The blonde was about to give up, when she felt one of Natsu's hands leave her thighs.

She grabbed onto his shoulders, using him to keep herself from falling. His hand went to her zipper, and instead of going gently, he ripped the thing down, breaking the zipper and tearing the shirt in the process.

Lucy didn't seem to mind as the shirt fell open, revealing her bra-covered breasts to him. He used his free hand to tug the bra down, being careful not to rip it. Her large mounds were left exposed, leaving them easy targets for Natsu's rough fingers.

Natsu massaged her left breast, causing her nipple to perk up immediately. His fingers brushed against the bud, twisting it and pulling it slightly. She whimpered in his mouth, loving the tantalizing feeling coursing through her, but hating the way he teased.

Lucy wanted more!

However, Natsu seemed to enjoy the way she writhed in his grasp. He had complete control over her, and they both loved it.

The dragon slayer's mouth sought out her throat, teeth scraping the sensitive skin before his tongue lapped the flesh. Lucy mewled, jutting her hips out to collide with his. Natsu thought to himself, _'well, someone's impatient.'_

He smirked against her neck, the smell of her arousal finally hitting his nose. He had to get to the source of that wonderful aroma she produced.

His hand left her breast, causing the blonde to grouse at the loss of contact. He gripped her thigh again, pulling her tightly against him before he started walking backwards.

His mouth never left her throat as he staggered like a drunk person across the room to his couch. He dropped her onto the furniture, not hard, but enough to take the air from her lungs.

She barely had time to recover before she saw him pulling at his scarf and kicking his sandals off. He was left clad in only his white shorts, where she easily saw his large package straining against the material.

When he started sinking to his knees in front of her, she opened her mouth to ask, "what are you-"

Her words died when she made eye contact with him. The gluttonous look he gave Lucy made her face heart up, scared but excited to see what he had in mind.

His calloused hands rubbed her exposed thighs, dipping inward to touch the skin right below her panty line. Lucy found herself opening the space between her legs the longer he spoiled her skin with his rough hands.

When Natsu determined she was ready, his fingers curled around the waistband of her skirt, giving it a nice tug to let her know what he wanted.

Putting pressure on her feet and arms, she lifted her butt from the couch, allowing him to pull the material off. What she didn't expect was him to take her panties as well.

She felt extremely exposed now, but she made no effort to cover herself up. She loved him, and she trusted he wouldn't do anything to harm her.

The dragon slayer's hands returned to her inner thighs, this time spreading them apart to give him a good look at her core. His hands ran over her smooth thighs until they snaked around to her butt cheeks.

Lucy had no idea what he was doing until she felt the sudden jerk. Her back slid down as her body was pulled to the edge of the couch. The rough hands returned to her womanhood as he carefully touched the wet skin.

The blonde's heart pounded in her chest, her anxiety rising as she anticipated his next move. Her breath hitched when he used two fingers to spread her, letting the steamy air touch her delicate flesh.

The dragon slayer's tongue came out, softly licking at the folds of her skin. She was already wet, and the smell of her arousal made his mouth water. He had an appetite that only Lucy could satisfy.

He teased her, slowly kissing her lower lips as she let out small gasps. He let his tongue languidly drag against her drenched folds, only to pull back slightly.

The cycle repeated, Natsu teasing Lucy until she started moaning, only to deny her yet again. He loved the way she jutted her hips out, wanting more. She'd whimper when he denied her, and it sent chills through the man.

He had complete control over her pleasure. As empowering as that was, he decided to give her a little more.

He switched it up by darting his tongue out, thrusting into her opening and licking as far in as he could reach. This caused the blonde's body to go through mini spasms.

The pink haired man let out a growl before picking up the pace, but stopped when she became loud again.

The last time he denied her, she let out a huff of frustration, and he had to bite back his laughter. He gave up, deciding this much teasing was a bit cruel.

Natsu went back to kissing her womanhood, lips clamping softly over her folds, pulling enough to make her mewl. The pauses between kisses decreased, until he was no longer pulling away from her wetness at all.

The more he gave in to his ravenous greed, the louder she became.

Lewd sounds filled the small house as his lips moved fluidly over her womanhood. The subtle slurping noises coming from him were over powered by her cries. He let out a few groans himself, thoroughly enjoying her addicting flavor.

" _Aaahhhaa_ , y-yes," she arched her back when Natsu inserted two fingers into her soaked core. " _Uh huh, mmmhhn_ ," she leaned into his touch.

The dragon slayer hooked his fingers inside her, rubbing against her spongy walls until he could find the spot that made her wail. He found it, making sure to touch it with every thrust of his fingers.

He could hear the sloshing of her insides, making his cock twitch inside his shorts. He wanted her badly, but he'd have to wait until she was ready.

It seemed like she was more eager than he thought previously, because on her own accord she stripped off the torn shirt, letting it fall to her side before her hands went behind her back to unsnap her bra. The delicate material was left forgotten as her heavy breasts were left exposed.

The dragon slayer appreciated the view before inserting a third finger at the same time his hot lips covered her bundle of nerves, tongue flicking out to bring her closer to her climax.

The celestial wizard's hands threaded through his soft pink hair, gripping it painfully to bring him closer to her opening. She wanted this to continue, and the risk of him pulling away seemed high since she started moaning without pauses.

"Na-Nat... _suuu_ , please, _please_ ," she didn't know what she was begging for, but everything in her body told her to do it. She panted as his tongue swirled around her clit, making her legs tense up.

She found it difficult to breathe, her body convulsing on its own, trying to get closer to that devilish tongue of his.

" _Ahh, uunh_ ," she tipped her head back, hitting the couch as her body unleashed a powerful surge through her trembling body. Her hands balled into tiny fists as she both fought off the intense sensation and relaxed into it's sweet embrace.

The air felt hot and thick around her, almost like a sauna. She glanced down at the dragon slayer, sweat dripping from her forehead as she moved. He was staring at her, her succulent fluid leaking down his chin, only to drop onto his wooden floor.

She almost apologized, but he didn't seem to notice as his tongue flickered over his swollen lips.

The yearning look he gave exhilarated her, making her thrilled to find out what came next.

Natsu stood up, barely leaving any room between his shins and the couch. She watched with ardent curiosity as his hands traveled to the buttons of his white shorts. The ripped material quickly fell to the floor, revealing two things.

One, Natsu went commando, and two, he owned a thick cock.

She gazed at it, studying every inch he had to offer. It protruded from a bush of pink curls, with a white pearl adorning the tip. She saw it twitch without any stimulation, making something stir deep in her belly.

She looked up at him, wondering exactly what she was supposed to do. This was her first time actually seeing a male's member, so she was somewhat clueless.

The dragon slayer seemed to notice this, so he figured he'd help her out some. He reached out, gently grabbed her right hand to guide it to his manhood. She didn't resist his actions, wanting to learn what he desired.

His tan skin contrasted against her pale flesh, bringing it closer until her palm met his member. Lucy's eyes widened at the contact, surprised when she felt it jerk at the slight touch. Slowly, her fingers curled around him, feeling just how thick and hot his arousal was.

Mesmerized by the way it felt in her hand, she pumped it, drawing a groan from the pink haired man. His hand tightened around hers, and before she could ask if she did something wrong, he moved her hand again, stroking him again and again.

The tips of her fingers brushed against the liquid leaking from his cock, smearing it along his length to increase the pleasure. "Good girl," Natsu moaned, letting go of her so he could place his hand in her hair. His fingers twisted in the golden strands, fighting the urge to pull her hair.

He had a lot of urges bubbling up in his dirty mind, but he'd save those for later. Right now he was determined to get her comfortable touching him.

It seemed to be working, because she visibly relaxed with every pump, learning more about his reactions and his body. She noticed he leaned into her touch when she gripped harder, or he'd let out a soft curse when she went a little faster.

Moans tumbled from his swollen lips when she focused on his tip, giving it a couple extra rubs before proceeding to the entire length. The large vein that ran underneath was pulsating, desperately wanting to release.

Natsu hadn't been intimate for a while, so he wasn't sure how long he could hold out. He did know one thing, he didn't want to cum in her hands. He had other _places_ in mind.

Natsu moved his hand to her face, sliding against her smooth skin until he gently cupped her cheek. The blonde hardly seemed to notice, her attention consumed by the slippery cock.

"Hey Luce," he whispered in a husky voice, gaining her attention.

Big, brown eyes looked up at him, causing him a lapse in sanity before remembering what it was he wanted to ask her.

"Will you suck me?" He asked, severely holding back his desires to just tell her to do it instead of asking. He had a kink for dominating, but he had to be careful with her so he didn't scare her away before they even got to the fun parts.

"What do you mean? Suck you?" Her lips stayed parted after she finished, giving her a sexy allure.

His knees almost buckled from hearing how naive she was. She was such a pure woman, but he planned on changing that soon enough. "Open your mouth," he instructed, more than pleased when she obeyed.

Instead of thrusting in like he desperately wanted to, the greedy dragon fought back his instincts and slowly moved his cock to her gaping mouth. She widened her eyes a bit, but she made no effort to retreat.

Still sitting on the couch, she inched forward, her bottom lip touching his tip. He didn't know how much longer he'd last with her unintentional torture.

The dragon slayer moved forward, two inches of his cock entered her moist cavern. He decided to leave it there, letting her figure out the rest on her own. She seemed to do well, since her lips wrapped around his member. She held him there for a few seconds before she leaned her head in, taking in a few more inches.

The grunt from Natsu was enough to let her know she must be doing something right, so she leaned in more. So much so that his tip soon touched the entrance of her throat.

The blonde quickly gagged, pulling her mouth away from him in an attempt to rid herself of that awful feeling. She coughed a bit, finding it a little soothing.

"You probably shouldn't take in more than you're ready for," Natsu advised, slowly discovering her limits.

She nodded, a few tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She opened her mouth wide, taking in half of his cock. This length was much more manageable. Her hands worked to pump the skin her mouth couldn't reach, making sure none of him was left neglected.

" _Mmmm_ , that's good Luce," the pink haired man tilted his head back, "maybe use more tongue."

"Like this?" She asked, moving her wet muscle against the bottom of his cock. She found there wasn't much room for her to twist it around in her mouth full, so she had to settle for licking the underside of his cock.

"Yeah, like that," he hummed in appreciation, surprised by how skillful she was for her first blowjob. Of course there was always room to improve, but that's how the saying goes: Practice makes perfect.

If Lucy's face wasn't already flushed, she would have blushed at his compliment. She started bobbing her head faster, using her tongue to lick wildly, unaware that she brought him to the edge in a matter of minutes. " _Oh damn,_ you're really good!"

His large hand rested on the crown of her head, pushing her closer to his manhood so he could finish up quickly. She went with the flow, hand pumping and mouth massaging. "Fuck, _oh fuck,_ yes!"

The dragon slayer barely lasted another minute before he burst, his hot seed splattering in her mouth and throat. His body shuttered from the intense climax.

" _Uuhhhnnn_ ," his hand gripped her hair, not painfully, but enough to satisfy the cravings for now.

Lucy coughed. It was difficult with his cock throbbing and releasing in his mouth, but that was honestly the reason why she was coughing in the first place. Whatever came out of him tasted salty, and bitter.

She didn't try to spit it out though. Tilting her head back a bit, she was able to let his white liquid slip down her throat as she gulped, leaving nothing behind.

The dragon slayer panted, feeling the full effects of his release. His head tingled as he slowly came down from his temporary high. Pleased that she swallowed his seed without him even asking, his hand loosened in her hair and brushed some of the wandering strands away from her face.

Natsu stepped back, allowing her room to release his cock. She did so slowly, tasting every inch before he slipped out. Pride surged through him to see his cock was still fully erect, waiting for the next impending climax.

The dragon slayer hooked his arms around her waist, pulling her up until her flushed body was pressed against his. He moved carefully, making sure his hold on her didn't falter.

He moved them to a clear spot on the floor in the center of his small house. The wood under his feet felt cold against his high body temperature, and he hoped it wouldn't be uncomfortable for her when he laid her down on her back.

Natsu cupped the back of her head, bringing her into a rough kiss. He could still taste a bit of himself on her tongue, but he ignored it in favor of working Lucy up.

His large hands roamed her body, specifically around her waist and hips, pulling her closer to him. He hovered over her, with her back lifted from the ground. His arms protested the added strain, but he didn't attempt to release her, not until he knew she was hot and bothered.

Lucy's hands tugged at his pink hair, while her tongue fought with his own. He was distracted with his hands venturing to her dripping core, so she easily dominated his mouth. It turned sloppy fast, with her mouth slanted over his and trickles of saliva leaking from their lips. Neither minded when Natsu's fingers invaded her body again.

The blonde let out a string of whimpers, since he started out with three fingers at a fast pace. He needed to get her ready, and her tightness indicated she'd be in for some pain if he didn't prep her properly.

He twisted his fingers inside her, rubbing against her inner walls and hitting her sweet spot constantly.

When her body started quivering, he stopped. Pulling out quickly, he denied her a release. His mouth detached from hers as he stood up. He heard rather than saw the disappointment when she groaned, letting him imagine her with a cute pout on her pretty face.

Natsu had things to do though. He walked straight to his kitchen looking for the trash can. A vague memory popped in his head as he shifted the can so he could find what he was looking for.

 _"Shut up," Natsu said, wrapping his scarf around his neck a few times to secure it. "I'm not leaving to go get laid. I'm trying to find Igneel. That jerk just left and didn't tell me where he was going."_

 _A raven haired man laughed, "I just said_ if _you get laid, you'll need this," he held up a square foil package. "Don't want any fire-breathing rugrats running around."_

 _"You're a jerk, you know that?" Natsu asked, grabbing the damn condom and chucking it towards the trash. It missed, hitting the edge and falling behind the can and out of sight._

 _"Whatever, I was just tryin' to be nice," the man laughed, running a hand through his dark hair. Despite his tone, a smile adorned his face._

 _"Yeah yeah," the fire dragon slayer sneered, "why don't you keep it for yourself. I'm sure Juvia would loooove to fuck ya!"_

 _The man froze, "I told you to keep that a secret! You better not tell anyone or I swear I'll-"_

 _"Calm down Gray," the pink haired man said with a genuine smile on his face. "I won't tell anyone, but you guys really should go public. It'll give us an excuse to party."_

 _"Tell you what, I'll do that when you get back. Deal?" Gray asked, holding his hand out to his rival/friend._

 _"Hell yeah" Natsu shook his hand, until the memory started to fade into black._

He was so glad that ice princess decided to stop by right before he left to go look for Igneel, talking about how it was really just a cover to go find a woman. Natsu snorted, only now realizing that he unintentionally did exactly what Gray said he'd do.

He snatched up the condom, checking the expiration date to confirm it was still good before racing back to Lucy.

The dragon slayer found Lucy still in the position he left her in, except this time she was grinding her thighs together in an attempt to stop the wicked pulsations coming from her core. He had to smirk at the sight, loving how sexy she looked just by herself. Her brown eyes followed his movements with a yearning glint dancing in the orbs.

He kneeled down, grabbing her ass and pulling her back to his lap. Her upper back remained on the floor with her lower back raised in the air.

"If you want to stop now, that's perfectly fine with me," he let the words sink in before he added, holding up the condom. "If you want to continue, then that's _really_ fine with me. I have protection if you want to, but no pressure. I only want to if you're comfortable with it."

Lucy gazed up at Natsu, admiring him for letting her decide instead of just going for it. However, it wasn't necessary, because she already knew her decision before he asked. "I want to," she nodded, then noticed the troubled look on his face.

The dragon slayer gazed at her, an uneasy feeling bubbling in his chest.

She looked so gorgeous, so much so that he _almost_ didn't want to do this to her because then she wouldn't be that pure woman she'd been so proud of. He knew she was no longer a maiden, but that didn't extinguish the guilt he started to feel for wanting to take her virginity away.

"Are you sure you actually want to do this Lucy? I promise I won't be upset if you change your mind," it was as if he were hoping she'd say no. It honestly terrified him that he'd mess up and ruin her first time, causing her to resent him for the rest of her life. He'd be the man who stole her virginity and wasn't even good at it.

The soft giggle from Lucy settled his nerves a bit. She smiled at him, her deep brown eyes sparkling with passion. "For a demon, you sure are polite. Yes I'm sure, I really want to do this with you... But..."

Natsu held on to that one word, waiting with batted breath for what she might add.

"But, I only want to do this with _you_. I don't want anyone else," she said strongly, knowing she didn't want to share her body with just anyone. Natsu held her heart, he earned her trust, he was the one she wanted.

His green eyes seemed to light up when she said that. He caught his bottom lip between his teeth and gnawed on the flesh as he nodded his head. He felt silly that he was suddenly so nervous.

His nervousness vanished when he glanced down at her womanhood. It moved slightly with every breath she took. His fingers trailed over her wet folds, eliciting soft gasps from her parted lips.

The pad of his thumb rubbed her bundle of nerves a bit, getting her to that lustful state she was in before.

After he was sure she was ready, his hands went to work ripping the foil wrapper and placing the condom on his erection. In less than thirty seconds he was lining up his cock with her opening.

His green eyes flitted to hers, that small bit of red dancing in his right iris as they locked gazes. He put the tip at her entrance, and pushed in.

Since she already came before, it was easy to slip between her lower lips. Once an inch was in, he pushed harder, working his way through the resilient walls of her womanhood.

He could feel himself stretching her, expanding her hole to accommodate his size. She wasn't making any noise, trying to focus on the dark eyes of the man currently penetrating her for the first time.

"This may hurt, but it'll be better in the long run," Natsu said before he gripped her curvy hips, pulling her towards him the same time he thrust forward.

" _Uuhhn_ ," the blonde cried out, hands balling into fists as she felt him invade her body in one swift movement. She could feel him inside her, thick and hot. She barely felt the throbbing coming from his member, but it was still enough to register to her brain.

She looked down, seeing his pink curls mixing with her own blonde ones. It looked like he was completely in, but Natsu knew there was still almost two inches untouched by her heat.

He waited there patiently for her to get used to this new full filling. He leaned over a bit, taking her balled up hand in his, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"Take as long as you need," Natsu instructed, not wanting to rush this only for her to regret it.

She nodded, showing a wane smile on her pink lips. She felt a slight bit of pain, but mostly protests from being spread so wide. She wasn't sure how people were supposed to enjoy this.

After the initial discomfort passed, she pulled his hand, conveying her readiness. The dragon slayer was careful as he slowly pulled out, hearing the hitch in Lucy's breathing. Only when he buried himself inside her again did she let out a moan.

She was wrong.

She could see how people enjoyed this.

Natsu took that as a good sign, repeating the action again and again until he settled for a decent pace, controlling himself from pounding into her to fast or hard.

When he felt her tight hole loosen up a bit from the flowing juices her body naturally produced, he stepped it up, grabbing her legs and hooking them over his shoulders.

The angle of penetration changed, letting him hit a bit deeper. He heard the slick sounds of himself satisfying both their needs, letting the noise of their actions spur him on. Lucy's wanton moans accompanied the sounds, blissfully unaware of how loud she became.

As he picked up speed, sharp gasps escaped her sweet mouth every time their hips rammed into each other. His body burned against hers, but she was relished in the heat consuming her.

Her heavy breasts heaved up and down with every thrust, tempting the dragon slayer. His fingers moved to palm the globes, before roughly massaging the pliant skin.

" _Nghh_ ," Lucy tried to arch her back, but she was already off the ground, so she didn't move much. Her body was starting to jerk, loving the ravenous treatment he gave. "Na-Natsu! Yes, _y-yes_!"

Lucy let out a string of cries as soon as her orgasm tore through her body. The walls surrounding Natsu's cock quickly squeezed him, forcing him to fight every urge in his body wanting to climax too. It was to early for him, he wanted to enjoy her for a bit more before giving into the temptation.

He thought he was safe since he already ejaculated once, but turns out the dry spell he'd been under for the past few years effected him more than he knew. It was hard to hold himself back as he felt her tense around him while shaking.

Natsu pulled out, terrified of blowing his load now. He carefully dropped her legs to the ground so she didn't hurt herself.

He didn't want to leave her unfulfilled while he gave his cock a break, so he fell to his elbows and attacked Lucy's freshly soaked core.

Natsu had never been so thankful for Gray giving him a flavored condom. He couldn't imagine what she'd taste like if he used a regular one. Right now she tasted like strawberries and her pussy juices, and he found himself falling in love with the combined flavor.

He had to fight the temptation to dry hump the floor as his tongue moved in and out of her delicious core. Her fluids dripped down her butt cheeks until he went to lick them up.

His mouth covered her entire womanhood, tongue moving quickly over her bundle of nerves until she was writhing beneath him. Her body shook, her hips bucked, trying to relieve the overwhelming pressure building within.

She was less shy this time around. Her hands touched his head, then jerked back when he sucked on her clit. She didn't even remember if she was going to pull his hair or not, because her mind went blank as he devoured her.

Her climax hit hard, making her body tense and convulse as wave after wave of unadulterated pleasure flooded her senses.

As soon as her orgasm started, he was already pulling his body up and lining his cock up with her. He delved in, letting out a pathetic whimper from how hot and wet she got just from the extra stimulation.

Natsu pounded into her, filling the room with skin on skin slaps and wanton moans from both the fire dragon slayer and Lucy. She was in heaven. She couldn't remember how many times she climaxed, but she knew it was more than any one person deserved at a time.

The pink haired man grabbed her ankles, spreading her legs wider so he could penetrate deeper. It surprised him how flexible the blonde could be, but he figured he shouldn't be, considering she spent most of her life training and exercising.

Lucy felt a burning sensation in her inner thighs from being positioned like that, but the angle of penetration made the sting worth it. Plus she loved the open view she now had, because it allowed her to watch every muscle on his torso flex with each thrust.

He was mesmerizing - _not to mention mouth watering_. He looked like a god sculpted his body. Her eyes followed the droplets of sweat dripping down, dipping and curving with each muscle.

Natsu saw her ogling her, boosting his confidence as he plunged into her again and again. He could feel almost every bit of her inner walls. He stretched her wide, but he knew he was just a tiny bit away from completely filling her up.

Lucy seemed to notice this, because her hands sneaked around his hips. Small hands gripped his firm ass, pulling him forward sharply just as he began to thrust again.

"Oh my _fucking_ god!" Natsu grunted, eyes shut tight and jaw clenched.

" _Aaahgh_ ," the blonde cried, never before feeling something so painful and pleasurable at the same time.

Natsu's cock hit the back of her core, bottoming out inside her. He had to fight back the tears that formed in the corner of his eyes. It felt so fucking good, and everything inside him told him to do it again.

With Lucy's help, he did.

"Shit!" The dragon slayer roared, momentarily forgetting how to breathe.

The blonde winced, her own tears rolling down her cheeks.

"F-fuck," the pink haired man finally registered her pain, "do you want me to stop?" He pulled back, cock threatening to slip out of her sopping hole.

She shook her head, nails digging into his toned ass, "no, do it again."

"With pleasure," the dragon slayer thrust again, this time making sure not to hit the back. He admired Lucy's determination, but he didn't want to cause permanent damage to her body.

The ex-maiden seemed more than content with the way he started ramming into her, secretly loving that he was careful to keep her safe - _even from himself_.

"Luce," Natsu grunted as he picked up speed. "I wanna see you touch yourself," his eyes trailed down her sweaty form until his vision landed on her core. He loved seeing himself disappear into her heat, only to come back out glistening from her juices. He really wished he wasn't wearing a condom, but he was nowhere near ready to - _as Gray put it_ \- have some fire-breathing rugrats.

The blonde moved her hand down her body, feeling soft, sweaty skin on her fingers and palms as she made her way to the apex of her legs. The tips of her fingers brushed against her womanhood, trying to find that special button Natsu always loved to play with.

It didn't take long for her to find it, and when she did...

" _Aahaa, ooohhh, mmmph_ ," Lucy licked her tongue as the pleasure once again flooded her body. She stoked the fire coursing through her veins, causing her heart to beat frantically.

She'd already climaxed two... maybe three times? Four? She lost count, only knowing she'd never had a night like this. She'd have to add another one to her count, because her body succumbed once again to the desire and release Natsu provided.

The image of Lucy right now burned into his memory, knowing he'd treasure it for years to come. Her teeth clenched while she moaned and whimpered beneath him. Her eyes rolled back as her body jerked in an enticing way. Her fingers never left her engorged bundle of nerves as she rubbed it fervidly.

Gasps tumbled from her lips every time their hips met, the burn in her thighs fading away as she became used to it. Her toes felt numb, and she didn't know if it was from the mind numbing orgasms or the loss of blood flow.

She was on the verge of passing out, but she held out, not wanting to fall asleep on him. Her body felt like jelly, her limps weak and trembling. " _Ahhh_ , it feels, feels so _good_ ," she cried when he started hitting her sweet spot again.

She couldn't take much more of this, but she really didn't want it to end without him finishing. She wanted him to enjoy this as much as she did, so she did the only thing she thought might work to get him off faster.

" _Damn!_ " Natsu let go of her ankles and slumped over, hands bracing himself as they rested on either side of her waist. "What are you- _oooohh fuck!_ "

The dragon slayer shut his eyes as he strained his jaw. His cock was being clamped and massaged over and over again by her inner walls. He had no idea why Lucy was doing it, but he didn't want her to stop. It felt way to damn good!

His dark green eyes met hers, flakes of red glinting in his right iris. He saw the tired and flushed expression on her face, it was one that told him she was worn out from everything they were doing. He'd been holding back, trying to make this last, but that look let him know it was okay now.

With four more powerful thrusts, he finally let go.

His hot white seed flooded the condom, burning against his tip and the rubber surrounding him. He quickly pulled out, knowing he might actually burn a hole through the protection.

Pumping out heavy breaths, he fell flat on his back next to her, vaguely registering when she turned his way. His mind and heart were racing as every nerve in his body jolted with pleasure.

"That was... wow..." Lucy had no words to describe how amazing her body felt - _despite her tired state._ "I never thought it'd feel that great."

"Trust me," he huffed out, trying to regulate his breathing, "usually it doesn't feel _that_ great," he wasn't lying. That had been the best sex of his life, and it was only their first time together! They had barely scratched the surface when it came to the world of lust and desire. He couldn't imagine all the possibilities they'd eventually discover together.

They had plenty of time to explore the possibilities, because Natsu planned on keeping Lucy. She was the woman he wanted to spend his life with.

"I love you so much Lucy," he said, peppering languid kisses on her face.

She blushed under his lips, giggling when he playfully licked her cheek. "I love you too, Natsu."

The dragon slayer placed a long kiss to her forehead, tasting sweat and ignoring the burn he felt in his lungs. When he pulled back, he took note of Lucy's half-hooded eyes. She looked like she needed a nap, and probably a shower.

Natsu whispered that he'd be back before standing up. Weak legs carried him to the kitchen trash can where he pulled off the filled condom, tying it at the end before throwing it away. He grabbed a towel and dried the fluid from his softened cock before returning to Lucy.

The pink haired man made sure he was careful when he picked her up bridal style, walking her over to set her on the couch. Her head was placed on the arm rest, where she quickly dozed off from exhaustion.

Natsu draped a blanket over her naked form before he put on his white shorts. He slid under the covers with her, tightly wrapping his arms around her to bring their bodies closer together since there wasn't much room on the couch for two people.

The tired man was about to pass out too when he heard something coming from the front door. His body jerked, unintentionally waking up the blonde in the process. "Whaa?" She asked half-asleep, a small trail of saliva already dripping from the corner of her mouth.

Any other time Natsu would laugh at how silly she looked, but right now he was on high alert. His eyes landed on the twisting door knob to his house, his body tensing before he sniffed the air.

It took him a moment to make out the scent, because the smell of their sex still lingered in the air, but when he recognized it, his lips quirked up. A large grin spread across his face as he watched the door open.

Lucy tried to see who was at the door, but it was so dark that she couldn't make out anything but a floating blob among the darkness. A high voice chirped out, making the dragon slayer relax.

"Natsu! You're home!"

* * *

 **I'm sure we** _ **all**_ **know who's at the door, but just in case, who do you think it'll be? :)**

 **Thank you for all the favs/follows! And thank you to those who reviewed:** **FlameDragonHime, Crimsonlink310, & SakuraStar1862.**

 **See you tomorrow with Day Seven: The End, aka, the last chapter of this story. It's been really fun writing this fic. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this! I really appreciate your support. Let me know what you think, see you tomorrow with the final chapter!**


	10. The End

**This is the last chapter of my story. I hope you like it, and I just want to thank everyone who took the time to read it. :)**

* * *

 **Day Seven: The End**

"Natsu! You're home!"

"Happy!" The dragon slayer cheered as he jumped from the couch.

Lucy was now wide awake, scrambling to grab the thrown blanket to cover her naked body. When she was decent, she looked over at the doorway to see Natsu hugging a ball of blue fur. He spun around, revealing a small creature with large white wings. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too!" The high chirping voice said back.

The blonde stared in confusion as she pieced things together in her head. The pink haired man had described his friend Happy to her a few times, and so far the animal in his hands matched the description. Plus there was the obvious fact that he said the word _Happy_.

The ex-maiden decided to not butt in, letting the two have their moment before asking questions.

"What took you so long! Everyone was worried!" The blue creature spoke.

Natsu loosened his hold on the little guy, letting Lucy see he was indeed a cat with wings. His little blue tail swished through the air in excitement.

"I met someone," the dragon slayer answered, eyes landing on the celestial wizard.

Happy turned to look at the couch, where a strange woman sat. "Hi, who are you?"

"I-I'm Lucy..."

"Hi Lucy!" The blue exceed greeted, "do you like fish?"

The blonde blinked in surprise. Out of all the things he could have said to her, that had not been one she was expecting. "Umm... I guess?"

Happy flew away from Natsu's hold, floating through the air until he landed near Lucy's covered feet. She watched as he pulled a small green backpack towards the front of his body before presenting her a fish. It flopped a little in his hand, confusing the blonde even more.

 _'How is that thing still alive? And I'm pretty sure it's way bigger than that backpack...'_

"You can have this as a welcome present," the blue cat held out the fish to the woman. "I was going to give it to Carla, but I can always catch her another one."

Lucy opened her mouth, but no words formed. She glanced up at the dragon slayer, seeing a silly grin on his face. She looked back down at the feline before shaking her head, "I'm confused."

"Huh?" Happy said, cocking his head to the side. "Why are you confused?"

"Hey Happy," Natsu started, walking over to the couch. "Let's give Lucy some time to rest. We had a long trip over here." He chose not to mention the physical activity they just endured before the exceed showed up. He was glad for the timing, knowing it would have probably scarred his friend to see him having sex with the woman.

"Okay," the feline nodded. "I have so much to tell you about the guild anyway!"

"Let's talk outside," the dragon slayer suggested before turning to Lucy, "if that's okay with you. I think it'd be best for you to sleep, that way you're rested when we go to the guild tomorrow."

The ex-maiden smiled, letting her eyelids drop a bit. "I am pretty tired," she agreed, slipping into a sleeping position. "Wake me up when you get back?"

Natsu gave her a thumbs up, matching his goofy grin. It was the last thing Lucy saw before she lifted the covers over her face. She barely heard the door close before she passed out.

* * *

"Luce..."

The blonde grimaced, squeezing her eyes shut and scrunching up her nose at whatever was disturbing her sleep.

"Hey Lucy..."

She let out a small groan of protest before sinking deeper under the blanket. A wet sensation on her neck jolted her away, causing her to snap her eyes open. Her hand flew to her neck, trying to find the source. She sighed in contentment when she realized it was the dragon slayer.

A low chuckle sounded in her ear before another swipe of Natsu's tongue ran along her throat. "You told me to wake you up Luce," he let out a low growl as he felt her body automatically lean into him. "What'd you want?"

"Mmmm," she hummed before turning around. It was then that she realized she was still undressed, so she quickly pulled the blanket up to her chin. A few coughs sounded from the ex-maiden in an attempt to clear her throat.

"I just wanted to talk for a bit," Lucy mumbled.

"About what?" The dragon slayer asked, snaking his arms around her.

"Are you going to tell Happy about who I am... What I was?" She asked, shame laced in her soft voice.

The pink haired man nuzzled his cheek against hers, "I told him what he needs to know for now. I figured I'd leave it up to you if you wanted to tell everybody."

"Everybody?"

"Yeah, the other Fairy Tail members. I'm sure they'll be curious about you," he said, feeling his arm under her start to tingle.

"Is Happy going to tell anyone you're back? It seems like you were really missed, sorry..." She knew if it wasn't for her, he would probably be back home way before now.

"Don't worry about that," Natsu let out a half-laugh. "In a weird way I kinda had fun. Well, not some parts... But I'm glad I was there. And no, I bribed Happy to keep his mouth shut. I'm gonna have to go fishing soon to catch a lot of fish, but it'll be worth it to surprise everyone in the morning."

"You seem to really enjoy surprising people," she commented, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against his neck.

"It's just fun," the dragon slayer cringed, "but maybe we should wait a few more days before going to the guild..."

"Why?"

"Happy said Erza's really mad at me for taking so long," he could only imagine the pain she'd bring him for being late. Apparently the redhead and Gray had been counting on him returning so they could take on harder missions, so they've missed chances at making more money.

"I remember you saying she can be really scary," Lucy sighed, not understanding how a single woman could terrify a demonic dragon.

"She is!" Natsu yelped, then apologized for being so loud next to her ear. "She can be really mean when she wants to be. Not to mention that stupid stripper. Happy said he's been telling everyone at the guild I probably got lost! Dumb ice princess..."

"Uh..." Lucy really didn't know what to say to that, so she just laughed, "you're friends sound interesting."

"That's a word to fit them..." Natsu grumbled, already preparing himself for their reaction when he shows up tomorrow. "Is that all you wanted to talk about though? We should really get some sleep." The dragon slayer's arm was already numb, but he didn't mind. As long as he got to hold onto the woman he loved, he was fine.

"I... I just had one more question," the ex-maiden confessed, feeling her cheeks heat up. She pulled away from his warm neck so she could look him in the eyes. "What are we?"

"What do you mean?" The pink haired man asked, noticing the blush on her face. It was hard to see since the only light source was the moonlight seeping in from the window, but it was still noticeable.

"Well... I'm not really familiar with the terminology, but are we together? Like a couple?" Lucy hoped that love meant being with each other and just each other. She didn't know if she could handle seeing Natsu with anyone else. Just thinking about it made her heart hurt.

"Of course we're together," he said as if it were obvious. "I mean, as long as you want to be..."

"Yeah," she nodded, messing up her already tangled hair. "I want to be with you."

"I don't really like labels, so how about this," Natsu proposed a compromise he thought both of them would be comfortable with. "I'll be yours, and you'll be mine?"

The blonde smiled, "I like that."

They sealed the deal with a long, languid kiss. It was unlike any of their other kisses, both taking their times to really explore each other. When Lucy finally pulled away, it was due to a yawn.

"Okay really now," Natsu said, pulling her closer to his body. "Time for bed."

"Who knew you'd be the responsible one," she joked before closing her eyes.

"I can be responsible," he feigned offense.

The two laughed before finally settling into the couch. They shared one more kiss before accepting the sleep they both desperately needed. Besides, they had a big day tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning went by in a flash. Lucy and Natsu woke up to a loud and cheerful voice that she now recognized as Happy's. The blue exceed showed up at the house bright and early to make sure they could start their day as soon as the sun began to rise.

The ex-maiden got up easily enough, but the dragon slayer begged for more sleep time. He only got up once Lucy asked him where his bathroom was.

"See... about that..." Natsu gave her a sheepish grin as he eyed the blonde. "...We don't have one... You're gonna have to go outside..."

"What?" She deadpanned, unsure if he was joking or not. _'How could a house not have a bathroom?'_

After Natsu repeated himself, absent a joking tone, she asked, "where am I supposed to wash up?"

"There's a lake behind the house!" Happy answered, flying in lazy circles above the two.

"I see..." Lucy sighed before turning to Natsu, "Do you have a shirt I could borrow?"

The man gave her a questioning glance, "what's wrong with your shirt?"

"You..." She remembered Happy was there, so she finished with a whisper, "you ripped it when we were... _you know_..." Thoughts of Natsu tearing her shirt in an attempt to rid her of it came to the front of her mind, causing her to blush fiercely.

"Oh yeah..." The pink haired man laughed as he stood from the couch, causing Lucy to tug on the blankets to keep them over her body.

The dragon slayer walked around the house to find a clean shirt. The closest he found was one he wore right before he left to go find Igneel.

Before he gave her the shirt, he threw on his one-sleeved black coat, fastening it to his body with a brown belt. All he had left to do was put on his scarf and sandals and he'd be ready for the day.

Lucy on the other hand, took much longer to get ready. After her cold bath in the lake, she dressed in her non-matching clothes and headed back to his house. There they decided it was time to head to the guild.

The oddly-grouped trio walked through the forest towards Magnolia. They wouldn't have a long journey once they reached the town, since Fairy Tail was located near the edge of the forest Natsu and Happy lived in.

The blonde fidgeted with Natsu's shirt. It was a few sizes to big for her, but it would have to do seeing as her shirt was ripped during their little 'session' last night. The shirt's material was soft, and surprisingly smelled like Natsu, even though he said he hadn't worn it since before he left to go find Igneel.

"If you keep tugging on it like that you're gonna stretch it out," the pink haired man informed as they reached the edge of the forest.

"I can't help it," the blonde said, trying to resist the urge to pull at the hem once more, "I'm nervous..."

"What's there to be nervous about?" Natsu asked, oblivious to her concerns.

"What if they don't like me," she worried, "or if they don't want me to join the guild..."

Happy spoke up, flying between the two love birds, "don't be silly Lucy. They'll like you for sure."

"Really?" She asked, glad it was someone other than Natsu comforting her. She was beginning to suspect he was just doing it to make her feel better regardless of the truth.

"Aye!" The exceed twirled before straightening out again. "I do have one question though," the blue feline looked over towards the blonde, "where are you going to live?"

"Huh," the ex-maiden pondered to herself, realizing she hadn't thought about it. "I'm not sure, but I'll figure something out soon."

The dragon slayer shook his head, finally joining the conversation. He threw an arm around Lucy, forcing Happy to fly higher if he wanted to avoid being stuck in their embrace. With a large grin Natsu said, "you can stay with us!"

"Are you sure?" The blonde asked, wondering if that was a good idea. It would let her be closer to Natsu, but would that be moving to fast? She wasn't really sure what the social norms were.

The dragon slayer would be able to provide shelter and safety, and she could help clean up around their house, and perhaps cook for them if they wanted her to.

"Of course I am," he said, a gleam in his green eyes. She noticed the red flickering, causing her to wonder if that would ever go away. Her view didn't last long, because he tore his sight away from her and towards the flying feline. "As long as you don't mind."

"As long as she doesn't take my fish, I'm fine with it," Happy chirped before dropping to the ground to walk beside them.

"You guys don't have to do this," Lucy reasoned, not wanting to intrude on their personal space. "I can find my own place, it'll just take me a bit..."

"I know we don't have to do it, I _want_ to. I can even buy a bed if that's what you're worried about. That way you don't have to sleep in the hammock or couch," the dragon slayer offered.

Natsu's gaze landed on her, making her cheeks warm up. She bit her lower lip before nodding, "okay."

He sealed the deal with a quick kiss to the crown of her golden hair, wondering if that was going to be the new thing for them when they agree on something. "Good," he said, ending the conversation just as they stepped from dirt to pavement.

"Wow," Lucy said when she finally saw the first bit of Magnolia. "It's so pretty."

"That's nothing, wait 'til you see our guild," Happy stated as the trio made their way through the town. It was late in the morning, so street vendors were already open for food and services.

"Hey Luce," the dragon slayer said as they passed through the shops. "Did you want to buy some clothes before we get there?"

The blonde glanced over to the man, then down at her clothes which consisted of Natsu's shirt, her wrinkled blue skirt, and boots. The ex-maiden sighed before shaking her head, "we don't have any money. I spent it all trying to get back..."

"That's not a problem," the pink haired man explained, "I have some money saved up from the house."

Her eyes lit up from the thought of getting into clean clothes, "I promise I'll pay you back!"

The dragon slayer snorted, "don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll make enough on a mission when we pick a job."

"You want to go on jobs with me?" She asked as Natsu tugged her towards one of the open shops.

"Of course," he assured, "I wanna go on lots of adventures with you. And you too, Happy!"

"Aye!" The blue cat followed behind, letting his feet do the work instead of his wings.

Lucy smiled at Natsu's kindness, "thank you."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Lucy emerged from the shop wearing a brand new outfit. She tried to stick with cheaper clothing, but Natsu insisted she get something she actually liked, knowing she didn't have much control over what she wore for most of her life. He was just trying to treat her.

She ended up getting a soft orange shirt, with a red ribbon laced around her neckline. A matching red skirt adorned her body, with red sandals covering her feet. What she was most thankful for was the new panties and bra, though she was unsure why Natsu insisted on her getting a red and black set.

She put the older clothes in her bag, next to END's horn. The ex-maiden still felt nervous, but Natsu once again told her there was nothing to be worried about.

For added measures, the dragon slayer took her hand in his, lacing his fingers with hers for the duration of their journey. Happy help back his snickers, knowing that it'd been years since Natsu acted this way around a woman. It made the blue exceed happy to see his best friend so happy.

Once they rounded the last corner, Lucy gasped. The two males remained silent, letting the blonde take in the sight of their guild in peace.

Her wide brown eyes flitted up and down, left to right. No matter how long she looked at it, it took her breath away. The first thing she noticed was the large gold sign that said **FAIRY TAIL** in big black, elegant letters. The next thing she noticed was the large, castle-like structure. It was similar to the Sabertooth guild, but this one was more colorful. That, and it didn't give her a creepy vibe.

This guild looked inviting with its playful scheme and excessive 'fairy' logos decorating the building. At the top was a bell tower with a large gold bell hanging from the center. In one word, she could describe the guild as _magical_.

"Great aint it?" Natsu said, giving her hand a squeeze that caused her to blink. She quickly closed her mouth, not realizing it had opened while taking in the sight of the Fairy Tail guild.

"Y-yeah," she found herself saying, cursing herself for not thinking of something more clever.

"Come on, let's go in," the pink haired man pulled Lucy's hand, guiding her to the large wooden doors to the building. Happy was right behind them, floating through the air in excitement at the woman's reaction once she went inside.

Lucy wasn't surprised when the dragon slayer kicked open the doors yelling, "I'm back!"

The ex-maiden watched as the man she loved let go of her hand before running up to a shirtless man. She thought they might hug just like Natsu did with Happy once they were reunited, but the opposite happened.

The dragon slayer's fist met the paler man's face, sending the guy several feet back before he caught his footing.

"What the hell, Fire Crotch!" The man stood up, rubbing his cheek where Natsu hit him. The man had short, spiky black hair with some of the raven locks forming bangs.

"Happy told me you went and told everyone about Juvia! I thought you were gonna wait for me so we could celebrate!" The pink haired man yelled, steam lifting from his body.

Lucy stared in utter confusion, turning towards Happy to get some answers, but the blue exceed was already flying through the large guild hall towards the bar. The blonde looked around, observing how their guild looked like a restaurant/bar. It was nothing like Sabertooth, aside from the mission board near one of the walls.

She clutched her bag's strap as a form of comfort, noticing some wandering eyes landing on her from different parts of the guild.

"What were we supposed to do?" The raven haired man shouted, "you've been gone for weeks?!"

"We had a deal, Ice Princess!" Natsu stressed, crossing his arms over his chest, clearly upset over the news that he missed out on the party they had to celebrate the union of the ice-make wizard and the water mage.

Truthfully he didn't care about the party, he just wanted to be there to see everyone's happy reaction to the news.

"I'm sorry, but you took too long. Did you get lost or something?" The _Ice Princess_ asked. "How hard is it to find a dragon?"

Lucy grimaced at the question, even though it wasn't directed towards her. She knew exactly how difficult it could be to find a dragon.

"I got distracted!" Natsu huffed, pink tinting his cheeks.

"With what?"

At that time Lucy paled, because Natsu turned to look at her, causing everyone else in the guild to give her their attention as well.

"...Uhh..." The ex-maiden debated escaping, but the pink haired man was quicker than her.

He leaped up in one swift movement, landing next to her within seconds. The cheerful grin that surfaced on his face made her heart flip, then speed up when he wrapped a warm arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"I found someone who needed help," Natsu explained, his thumb rubbing against her side in an attempt to sooth her. He could hear her subtle rapid breathing, sensing she probably wasn't ready to meet everyone just yet. It was a little late for that now though, so he tried to make it as comfortable as possible for her.

"This is Lucy, she's really cool and really nice. She's also kinda weird," the dragon slayer earned a few laughs from his guild mates as they studied the new woman.

Natsu narrowed his eyes, his heat spiking a few degrees. His green eyes glared back and forth to all the males, a feral growl escaping his throat. "She's _mine!_ So hands off!"

The blonde let out a soft eep when he tightened his grip on her, showing everyone how territorial a dragon could be.

"You... met a girl?" The raven haired man asked, trying to stifle his laughter. The man turned to look at a woman to his left. "I told ya he wasn't looking for Igneel!"

She had fair skin and long blue hair. Her eyes matched the color of her beautiful locks. "Juvia is happy for Natsu," the pale woman replied, "now she has one less love rival for my darling Gray!"

"What?" Natsu groused, "for the last time! I'm not interested in that Pervy Popsicle!"

The man known as Gray dragged a hand over his face, "Juvia we've been over this..."

"Juvia is still not convinced," the blue haired woman threw her arms around the shirtless man as if to stake her claim. The woman was about to list reasons she had suspicions, but she was cut off by another person.

"So Natsu," a new feminine voice appeared behind the dragon slayer and celestial wizard, causing the male to tense. "I can assume you have a good reason for being late?"

"Y-y-yes... Er-Erza..." The pink haired man glanced over his shoulder, seeing a redheaded woman standing by the guild's entrance. She was holding a long sword with wings protruding from the handle, before it vanished into thin air.

"And what is the reason?" Titania asked, unaware that he already explained since she just showed up for the morning.

"He was helping me," Lucy answered, not sure why Natsu was suddenly acting so terrified. She knew he said Erza was mean and scary, but she seemed fine to the blonde. Maybe a little authoritative, but not someone to coward away from.

"And who might you be?" The redhead asked, dropping her tone to one that was more friendly.

"Lucy," she said, pulling away from Natsu to offer the woman her hand.

Titania took the hand with a crushing grip, shaking her hand as if it belonged to a vulcan's. "Pleased to meet you Lucy, I'm Erza."

The ex-maiden winced, quickly withdrawing her hand to the safety of her chest. "You too," she said, forcing a smile.

"May I ask how you delayed Natsu?" The requip mage lifted a red brow, waiting for the blonde to answer.

"I umm... well..." Lucy really didn't want to answer that question right away. In fact she had no idea how long it'd be until she felt comfortable enough talking to anyone besides Natsu about her past. Luckily for her, Natsu came to her rescue... _sorta_...

"Hey Wendy!" The pink haired man waved his hand, getting the attention of a young woman with long blue hair. She appeared to be a few years younger than Lucy. "I need your help with something!"

Erza noticed the nervous look in Natsu's eyes, and decided it'd be best to not push anything else on the blonde woman. If they wanted to talk, they'd talk. Until then, the redhead would trust the judgement of her guild mate.

Lucy recognized the name Natsu said, recalling him saying she was the youngest dragon slayer he knew. If she remembered correctly, the girl uses sky and healing magic.

The young woman smiled at him as she padded over. She tripped on her way over, but quickly recovered before giving him a big hug. "I'm happy you're back! We were all so worried!"

"Sorry about that," he said with a sheepish grin.

"It's no problem," the blue haired girl assured as she pulled away. "What do you need help with?"

The fire dragon slayer turned to Lucy, holding out his hand. She already knew what he wanted, so she fished in her bag until she located the item. Her slim fingers pulled out the tip of his black horn. The ex-maiden handed it over, seeing the hopeful glint in Natsu's eyes.

Natsu presented the horn to Wendy, "do you think you could heal me since I have the other piece now?"

"Uhhh..." The young girl gave him an uneasy smile, "I'm not sure, but I'll try my best!"

"That's all I can ask," the fire dragon slayer said. Wendy asked him to meet her in the infirmary so they could try healing him in private since she knew most people at the guild were uncomfortable seeing Natsu transform into his END form.

They all knew it was still Natsu, but his demonic appearance was terrifying none the less.

Natsu gave Lucy one last look, "you gonna be okay by yourself?" He leaned in, whispering in her ear, "you're not gonna leave... right?" There was a hint of desperation in his voice that stung Lucy's heart.

The blonde responded with a soft kiss on his cheek, hoping he got the message that she was fine and wasn't going anywhere. She felt bad that he was worried, but she understood.

She watched as the two dragon slayers disappeared from view, but she barely had a chance to notice their absence because she was quickly ambushed by new people.

"So you and Natsu huh? You're definitely the cutest girl he's been with," the man known as Gray said.

The blue haired woman from before smacked his chest, "Juvia does not like the way Gray talks to this woman." She turned to Lucy with a half-scowl, "you will be love rival number two!"

"What?" The celestial wizard took a step back, frowning from confusion. _'How am I a love rival?'_

"Don't mind her," Gray said, dropping an arm around the blue haired woman's shoulders. "This is my girlfriend Juvia. And I'm Gray, it's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Lucy would offer them a handshake, but she was still sore from Erza's ministrations.

"Hello!" Another blue haired woman stepped up, except this one was much shorter than the other woman, and her hair was only to her shoulders. "My name is Levy, and this is Gajeel."

Lucy glanced over to Levy's side, then up so she could see the tall man beside her. He looked scary with his facial piercing and dark red eyes. Long, unruly black hair adorned his head, ending somewhere near his lower back. Instead of saying anything, he simply grunted, as if the action were enough for an introduction.

"Don't mind him," Levy sighed before pushing the tall man to the side. "I hope you're having a good time here. You look a little nervous."

"I am," Lucy confessed, tugging at the end of her shirt. She didn't want to say anything about her past, but the kind eyes Levy owned made her feel warm and safe. "I'm just not used to meeting so many new people at once."

"Really? Well I hope we don't make you uncomfortable," the short girl gave her a wane smile.

"It's fine," the blonde assured, holding out her hands in a mock surrender. "Just a little overwhelming."

"I know what you mean," Levy said, "when I first got here I was the same way, but we'll grow on you."

A genuine smile surfaced on Lucy's face, seeing what Natsu meant when he said everyone at Fairy Tail welcomed new people with open arms. The two females talked for a bit, not getting into anything person, just general knowledge about Fairy Tail. Levy pointed out different people while Lucy tried to make a mental note of their names and faces.

Before she knew it the short girl was talking about the history of the guild and where the name came from. Lucy didn't notice how much time had passed until Gajeel nudged Levy, muttering, "I'm hungry. If you want to join me I'll be at the bar."

Levy nodded to the tall man before turning back to the blonde. "If you need anything, or just want to talk, I'll be here. Gajeel and I aren't leaving for another mission for a day or so, so I'll be around."

"Thanks," the ex-maiden said before waving at the two, already feeling more at ease in the guild. She thought she finally got a minute to herself, but she was mistaken.

"What do you think of Fairy Tail so far?" Happy asked, landing on Lucy's shoulder.

"I like it," the celestial wizard smiled to herself as she felt herself slowly blend in with everyone else. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she could really belong somewhere. There was a sense of purpose here that she lacked at the church. "I can see why Natsu wanted to bring me here."

"Well you're the first girl he's brought to Fairy Tail," the blue exceed mentioned before floating above Lucy's head.

"I am?" The blonde felt her face warm up, knowing she was sporting a bright blush. The feline didn't get a chance to tell her _yes_ , because a loud voice cut him off.

"Guess what, Happy!" Natsu exclaimed as he ran up to the flying exceed. He had some fresh blood in his pink hair, but it appeared to be drying up.

"What?" The curious cat asked.

The dragon slayer stopped when he was a foot away from the blue feline and Lucy. "You don't have to carry me anymore!" Natsu's words confused Lucy, so she waited for some much needed clarity.

"I don't?" The exceed asked, his head cocking in the process.

"Nope! Check this out!" The pink haired man removed his coat, handing it to Lucy. Then he adjusted his pants so they hung low on his waist. No one said anything as he took a few steps back, shutting his dark green eyes. The temperature around him spiked as his body glowed a vibrant red.

Lucy's eyes widened as she realized what he was trying to do. _'But if he transforms, won't he be in pain?'_

His pink hair started to part, two black tips protruding from the spiky locks. A few guild members gathered around to watch as his black horns grew from his head.

Lucy's heart raced, she feared the screaming, the blood, but it never came. In fact, Natsu smiled as his black horns sprouted from him, until they reached their full lengths.

The blonde was amazed. The sky dragon slayer known as Wendy really did heal him! It was a great sight to see after being scared with the memories of Natsu's anguish over the pain of having his head ripped open again and again.

The skin on his arms and legs began to toughen, until it turned a dark red color and transformed into scales. The rough pattern spread to his shoulders and part of his face.

Lucy's grip on his coat tightened when she felt the wind gust past her, his massive wings making their debut. They looked just the same as before, with red scales adorning the bones, with a light pink webbing connecting each piece together.

The last part of him to transform was his backside. If someone were to be watching from behind, they'd see his lower back/upper butt morph into a hard red stump. The odd shape started to grow, forming a long, spiked tail. The heavy appendage fell to the ground, landing by his clawed feet.

"Whoa," a few wizards murmured as they watched their fellow guild mate transform into his demonic form, known as END.

When he opened his eyes, people gasped.

His eyes were completely black, with small red irises centered in the darkness. Light didn't reflect in his eyes, almost as if it swallowed it up.

He opened his mouth, showing off his razor-sharp teeth. **"Ta da!"** The demon laughed, holding his claws to his stomach and oblivious to the terror his distorted voice brought. **"You should see your faces,"** he continued laughing, a wicked tone added to the distortion of his voice.

Noticing that no one was moving or speaking, the demon stopped. **"What's wrong?"** He looked concerned, or at least that was the feeling he tried conveying. His eyes refused to let any emotions seep out, remaining hollow and dark.

When no one said anything, Lucy decided to speak up, "you're not in pain?"

The guild members turned their attentions away from the dragon slayer and onto the blonde woman. They all seemed surprised she would talk to the demon. Although they knew this was their friend at heart, none of them had ever seen him _fully_ transform, and the sight was frightening.

Lucy was used to seeing him in this form now, but this time he seemed _happy_. She took a step closer to him, causing the corners of his lips to lift. He may be a demon, but she loved him no matter what he looked like.

The dragon slayer shook his head, his pink hair waving around his black horns. **"Nope! No pain,"** he looked down at his claws, **"I actually feel pretty damn good!"**

Lucy couldn't help herself as she wrapped her arms around him, startling the demonic dragon and the people surrounding them. A few seconds passed before Natsu settled his clawed hands around her waist and shoulder, careful to not puncture her body.

"I'm so glad you don't hurt anymore," she whispered so only he could hear.

"I'm glad too," the voice of the youngest dragon slayer sounded from their side.

"I guess it's alright," Gajeel muttered in a rough voice from the bar.

The blonde almost forgot all dragon slayers had enhanced hearing, leaving her to giggle as they all shared a moment.

"So you can fly on your own now?" A small voice resonated from behind Lucy, that was recognized as Happy's.

The ex-maiden separated herself from the demon, letting Natsu address his friend.

 **"Yup! I can change whenever I want thanks to Luce and Wendy!"** END grinned, until he saw the sad smile on the exceed. **"What's the matter?"**

"Nothing... I just don't know what I'm gonna do now. That was the only way I helped in fights..." The flying feline landed on a table, his tail slack and his eyes watery.

The demon approached his friend, letting his long tail drag along the wooden floor. His clawed hand gently landed on Happy's head, giving the cat a few pets. **"Don't think like that! You've saved my ass a ton of times,"** Natsu saw the way Happy's tail twitched to life. **"And besides, if that's what you're worried about, you can start carrying Lucy!"**

"What?" The blonde asked quickly, unsure if she wanted to be flown around anymore. She accepted it when they were on their way to the guild, but she saw no reason to fly now.

"Really!" Happy exclaimed, body rising in the air as his wings flapped once. He flew around the guild until Lucy's eyes lost track of him.

She opened her mouth to protest, but before the words could slip from her mouth, she felt something hit her back. The arm holes on the shirt she wore tugged upwards, and before she knew it, she was in the air.

"Aahhh! What the heck?" The ex-maiden kicked her legs, trying desperately to reach the ground. Her face lit up when she saw the men of the guild looking up at her with blood seeping from their noses.

She tried pulling her skirt closer to her body in the front and back, but she knew they could see far more than she wanted to reveal. "Let me down you stupid cat!"

"Aye Sir!" The exceed chirped, not at all fazed by her insult. He started to descend until her feet touched the ground.

Happy let go of her clothes, allowing the blonde to approach the dragon slayer who was busy laughing his ass off at how silly she looked flailing her limbs in the air.

"It's not funny!" Lucy sneered, but secretly it was a bit fun flying without the possibility of blood dripping on her. She'd never admit it and give them the satisfaction though.

"Hey Natsu... I don't think I can carry Lucy," the blue exceed tried to whisper into the pink haired man's ear, but Lucy heard every word perfectly.

 **"Why's that?"** The demon tried whispering back, but his distorted voice left no room for discretion.

"She's kinda heavy," the feline said bluntly, not bothering to keep his voice low.

The blonde felt her eye twitch as she heard those words. It made matters worse when Natsu opened his mouth to reply.

 **"Yeah I know. We should probably talk to her about it. Maybe some exercise will help?"** The demon laughed, playfully teasing the blonde.

The two males snickered while Lucy groaned, "umm, I can hear you."

 **"Come on Luce, you know we're just kidding,"** END cast her a smile before closing his eyes. His body glowed red as his transformation subsided, leaving Natsu in his regular human form.

"Oh wow! That was the fastest I've done it! I bet if I keep this up I can be faster than Erza when she requips!" Natsu cheered in his normal voice.

"Doubt it," the redhead said as she stepped up to the pink haired man. "Gray and I were about to leave on an S-Class job, are you interested?"

"Hell yeah!" Natsu punched the air above him. "I'm ready for any mission! What's the job!"

Gray approached the small group when other guild members started to scatter, relieved that Natsu wasn't in his demon form, and surprisingly didn't cause any damage.

"We're going to lift the curse on Galuna Island," the ice-make wizard informed.

"Isn't that the island with all the demons?" Happy asked, flying up to land on Natsu's head. The cat was holding a wet towel that seemed to come out of nowhere, attempting to wash the blood from his hair.

"It is," Erza confirmed before handing Natsu the job request.

"Whoa! Seven million jewels!" The pink haired man's eyes lit up at the reward amount. "That can buy a lot of food!"

"Aye!" The blue exceed chirped.

The blonde maiden took a step back, already feeling like she was intruding on their team. She would miss Natsu while he was gone, but maybe that gave her time to meet some of the guild members... _'That Levy girl seemed nice...'_

"Yes, it's a hefty reward. On top of that they're offering a golden gate key," the redhead said, missing the way Lucy flinched. "Since we have no use for it we can either sell it or perhaps give it to Yukino from Sabertooth."

"I have a better idea!" Natsu said, reaching out and grabbing Lucy's wrist. The ex-maiden had been caught unaware, and let out a tiny yelp as she was tugged to his body. He wrapped his arm around her, tucking her against his warm frame. She realized he seemed to like to keep her close, probably because she had a habit in the past of leaving him behind.

"We can give the key to Luce!" The fire dragon slayer smiled as he looked down at his woman.

"Give it to Lucy?" Titania glanced over to the blonde. "Are you a celestial wizard?"

The ex-maiden nodded, hand grabbing the flap to her pouch to show the redhead her keys. "I'm a wizard," she confessed, feeling some weight lift from her shoulders.

"I see," the requip mage shared a glance with Gray. The raven haired man nodded before she turned her attention back towards the celestial wizard, "would you like to join us to Galuna Island?"

"Really?" Lucy asked incredulously. These people knew nothing about her except her name, her status with Natsu, and her type of magic. _'Why would they want my help?'_

"She'd love to!" The fire dragon slayer answered for her, arm tightening around her. "Wouldn't you?"

"Y-yeah," she found herself saying, surprised by how genuine it sounded aloud.

"Then it's settled! She's joining our team!" The pink haired man placed a quick kiss to her temple before finally releasing her. "You guys won't be disappointed. You should see her in action! Especially when she uses that whip!"

The blonde blushed from the compliments Natsu showered her with. It felt nice having someone's faith, and she wouldn't let him down.

"Welcome to our team," Erza held out her hand, which frightened Lucy.

"Umm, how about a high five?" The celestial wizard lifted her hand, palm out, hoping she wouldn't regret her decision. She did, because a second later the requip mage's hand slapped against her own, leaving behind a loud smacking noise and a wincing Lucy.

"You'll need to officially join our guild before we leave," Gray addressed before pointing behind Lucy.

The blonde rubbed her sore hand as she turned around to see the woman Levy said was named Mirajane holding up a weird item. "Where would you like your guild mark?"

The ex-maiden looked over to Natsu, who gave her a reassuring smile. She glanced back at the white haired woman before holding out her right hand. "Here," she said, watching as the older woman placed what looked to be a stamp on her sore hand.

Light shined between her hand and the stamp before she felt the skin tickle. When Mira removed the stamp, a pink Fairy Tail emblem adorned her flesh.

"So I guess you really do like pink, huh?"

Lucy looked up to see Natsu peering over her shoulder at the mark. His soft, clean hair brushed against her cheek, that slowly warmed up from his closeness. "Yup," she nodded at the man who held her heart.

"So when are we leaving?" Natsu called out once he pulled away from Lucy's face.

"Well we were going to leave an hour ago, but you went and wasted time with your late arrival!" Gray yelled, earning a grunt from the pink haired man.

"What'd you say to me?" Natsu marched over to the ice-make wizard and slammed his forehead against the other man's.

The raven haired man pushed back, eyes narrowing, "I _said_ , we would've-"

Lucy stopped listening to their bickering, now knowing it was a usual thing between the two males. She took one last look around the guild, smiling at the place she was sure to spend her future in.

She didn't know what this new life would bring, but it was sure to be better than her life full of lies with Zentopia. She wasn't sure if she'd ever run into the church officials again, but if she did, she'd have Natsu by her side to help her through whatever they could throw at them.

The ex-maiden glanced at Erza, who was currently holding Natsu and Gray up by the scruff of their necks, yelling something incoherent.

Lucy smiled, realizing that she might have more friends very soon. Fairy Tail felt like a place she could call her home, with friends that seemed more like family to each other. This place felt safe, and she let go of her fears of being alone.

"Hey Luce!" Natsu's voice rang through her ears, bringing her back to reality. "You comin'?"

The blonde haired woman turned to see him standing at the guild's doors with Erza, Gray, and Happy.

Lucy smiled to herself, warmth spreading in her heart. _'This feels right.'_

Running up to her new friends, she shouted in a cheerful voice, "yeah!"

She didn't know what her future held, but she knew it'd be full of fun and adventures as long as she stuck around with Natsu, the fire dragon slayer.

Also known as...

The END.

* * *

 **This story is officially finished! I'm glad I was finally able to participate in Nalu week!**

 **Thank you for all the favs/follows! And thank you to those who reviewed:** **FlameDragonHime, ToastedWeirdBrain, Crimsonlink310, silver light of, SakuraStar1862, AnimeArmorFreak, & ToastedWeirdBrain.**

 **Thank you so much for reading this story, and thank you mikethepokemaster for suggesting the idea.**

 **I am going to be taking at least a week off from writing, because I burned myself out with these two recent stories. I'll be back soon with another fic. Let me know though, what do you like best? One-shots, short multi-chapter (3-15 chapters) or long multi-chapters (30+ chapters). Just curious, I know everyone has their own opinion. Also who likes AU's more, or canon stories more?**


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